


The Heart of a Hero

by Windskull



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Gen, Novelization, link is a skull kid, mischievous kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-31 20:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 73,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15127430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windskull/pseuds/Windskull
Summary: As darkness and evil seep their way into Hyrule, the people find themselves in desperate need of a hero. They never expected their savior would be someone so unlike them, who had lost their human self some time ago.An Ocarina of Time alternate universe novelization.





	1. Prologue

The boy ran.

He ran, and he ran, even though he could barely make out the ground in front of him, tugged along in a still half asleep state by his mother’s weakening grip. The only light was the pale sliver of moonlight casting into the field, and the blaze of orange behind him.

As they reached the top of a hill, his mother slowed to look back, then to look this way and that. One hand gripped his wrist with all the strength she could muster. The other she had kept wrapped around her waist.

In the distance, he heard howling, the only sound cutting through the night, besides his and his mother’s ragged breathing. His mother’s grip tightened, and she began to run again.

He wanted to call out to her, to ask what was wrong, where they were going, but the words caught in his throat. He breathed heavily, his legs feeling like jelly. He stumbled blindly behind his mother. Though very little was visible, he could just barely make out the lining of treetops standing out against the star filled sky.

 _You must never venture near the forest alone_ , his father had told him many times before. _It is not safe, filled with monsters, and besides that…_ He wondered where his father was now.

His foot caught on something in the darkness, and he stumbled. His mother did not stop, despite his cry of pain as his ankle twisted unnaturally. Then his mother tripped, stumbling to the ground without being able to catch herself, her child falling over behind her.

The boy rolled to the side and took a moment to catch his breath, then pushed himself to his knees, finally awake. Only then did he turn back to see the fire. In the distance, smoke rose into the air, and flames licked high into the sky. Was that… home? The night had been a blur. He remembered being awoken to his mom’s scream. There was a shout afterwards, and then… he couldn’t remember, then they were running through the town, running through the fields. He turned back to look at his mother.

She did not rise. Her breathing was ragged, and she didn’t look directly at him at first.

Distant howling sounded once again, and his mother’s head snapped up. Weakly, she tried to push herself up, but fell. The boy whimpered.

“Mom? Momma, what’s going on?” He asked.

“Listen to me very carefully,” the mother started in a cracked, hushed whisper, raising a hand towards her child. “Li.. Listen. You have to run without me.”

The boy’s gaze clouded in confusion. He leaned slightly back. His mother’s hand found his shoulder.

“Run into the forest. Find the great spirit there. You must beg him to let you stay until it’s safe to return. Do you understand?”

He shook his head. “N-no, no I don’t understand. Momma, what’s going on? I don’t understand!”

His mother lowered her gaze. “Home is not safe anymore, my child. Find the forest spirit, find the forest children. Live.”

“Bu-t mom, what-what about-” He was silenced by his mom’s finger at his lips

There was a moment of silence, and his mother moved her shaking hand to cup her child’s face one last time. “Be courageous, my son, and the goddesses will protect you. I know you can do it, my little hero.”

Howling sounded again, closer. His mother removed her hand. “Now run, go!”

Her hand fell. He shuddered, then forced himself to stand and continue to run in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first off, I can not begin to say how excited I am to publish this project! It's going to be the biggest writing project I've ever attempted (my previous longest story was about 25k words, and I've already almost surpassed that with my draft in only a tiny fraction of the story). I hope to update it weekly on Sundays.
> 
> So now for some quick notes about the story itself:  
> Yes this is going to diverge some from the story of Ocarina of Time. Some characters are going to get more development than they do in the original game, and the order of some events will be different, as well as how some of them play out. Some things within the story itself may not follow established canon to the exact, whether it be because I forgot something, or chose to change it for the sake of the story. Please feel free to point out glaring plot holes or flaws, but also please bear with me, and remember that this is a labor of love. Most of the plot is pretty well hammered out, but I still have a lot to write, so who knows how things could shift around in the end? Tentatively, I'm looking at 34 chapters, but again, that is subject to change.
> 
> Finally, starting with the first actual chapter, I plan to have an illustration of some sort for each chapter.
> 
> With all that said, I hope you enjoy The Heart of a Hero!


	2. Forest Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we glimpse into the hero's daily life.

**-Part 1: The Body of a Monster-**

* * *

_He wasn't sure where he was._

_The first thing he made of his surroundings was that grass stretched out all around him. The second was the unnatural darkness that permeated the area._

_The third thing he noticed was a large, unnatural stone wall stretching out in front of him, illumined just barely by moonlight and barely backlit by a distant orange glow. He could not say why, but something about it felt nostalgic, sad, like a distant memory buried deep within his mind._

_He began to creep forward. Suddenly, a wooden part of the wall fell forward, and he sprang back in alarm. Something, a large, white animal – probably a horse – raced out, a brightly clothed girl and a darkly clothed woman on its back. The child looked back, and for a moment, he locked eyes with her before they disappeared, fading into the darkness._

_He began to turn back around and suddenly cried out in alarm. A second, darker horse reared up in front of him. Atop this one, sat a man. He wore dark clothes, his hair contrasting like a flame. His sharp eyes were a deep red, matching the color of the stains that spattered his clothing._

_The horse reared up. The man gave him a wicked grin as the horse dropped down, giving him no time to move._

_He screamed._

* * *

Link startled awake with a gasp, scrambling to a sitting position. It took him a moment to recognize his surroundings. He was still safe in bed, gripping his scratchy hand-me-down blanket. Sunlight filtered down through the cracks in his roof onto his face, little spots of light in the dim room. He took a moment to blink and steady his breathing.

It was all just a dream.

Still, it had felt so vivid, so  _real_.

He shook his head to clear it of his thoughts. Nonsense. Dreams were not real, that was just silly, childish thinking! … Right?

But he was a child, and he'd always be a child, so there was nothing wrong with childish thoughts like that, was there?

Having calmed himself from the dream's grip, he finally stretched and threw the blanket off. Once again it was another day, and he for one was looking forward to spending it with his best friend in the world, as usual.

Raising quietly, he crept to the entranceway to his stump, and carefully pulled the leaf curtain away, glancing around. Usually, his friend was already here before he woke, but this time, they seemed to be late. That, or they were waiting to sneak up on him. He wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.

And yet, the clearing seemed perfectly peaceful, with the sound of birds chirping and smaller forest life going about foraging. He could even hear of the scratch-scratching of insects burrowing if he really strained his ears. But still, he did not see hide nor hair of his friend (did they even have hair? He was pretty sure they did not). He could not even sense a trace of vanishing magic in the air.

Satisfied that he was probably safe, he crept out of his home and into the clearing. Wow, was his friend really going to be late? They were never late! He did not want a quiet morning; if his friend was late, then something terrible must have happened! Then he looked up.

There was a flash of orange and green and brown, and Link barely had time to brace himself as he was tackled and rolled to the ground, tumbling with his attacker. As his head cleared he was greeted to the beak, the corners twisted in an attempt of a smile, of his best friend crouched over him.

"Good morning Link!" The skull kid exclaimed.

"Aw, no fair Skull Kid!" He exclaimed, pushing his friend's face away and pushing himself into a sitting position. "Where were you, on top of my house?"

Skull Kid - or Skully, as Link had taken to sometimes nicknaming him (as the boy said he had no name that he could remember) just shook his body, rattling, and gave him an amused chuckle before backing off and letting him get up. "It's all fair, silly. Next time be faster! You were still asleep when I got here, so I thought I'd have a little fun!"

Link climbed to his feet and watched as his friend sprang back to the top of his house as soon as he saw Link up and moving. "Sorry, I was having a… um… a bad dream."

Skull Kid paused for a minute, then crossed his arms with a pout. "Bad dream? Those are the worst. You should just punch those big bad dreams right in the face. Do you know how much it hurts to be punched by wood? One of the other skull kids said they punched an adult once, and the adult  _cried!"_

Link was not sure he really believed that. Still, he took a moment to look down at his hand, flexing it experimentally as he watched the pieces of bark that formed around his wooden, shadowy joints shift around and even bend in some parts to allow for movement.

The passage of time was all relative to Link, but it seemed like so long ago that he had become a skull kid.

He couldn't remember much about the change, or really anything about himself prior to his transformation. Not even what he must have been doing here. He remembered his name. He remembered pain, and fear. But when the world went dark, the fear and pain went away. Skully told him that the pain and fear was dying. He did not know for sure that his friend was being truthful, but it did not matter anymore. All that mattered now was living and having a little fun.

And whatever it was that he always felt like he was forgetting.

Speaking of Skull Kid, his friend's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, Link, are you paying attention?" The other boy waved a gloved hand in Link's direction. "I said what do you want to do today?"

Link tilted his head slightly and flashed Skull Kid a toothy grin. He wasn't much of a talker most of the time. In fact, he talked more to the other skull kid than anyone else, and even then, it was often short bursts in a quiet voice. Not that he knew many other people anyways.

His friend took his motion as an invitation to decide himself. The boy tapped his foot for a moment. Then his face lit up; he hopped down and took hold of Links hand before taking off at a sprint.

No two skull kids looked exactly the same, but he stuck out a bit more than most of the others, it seemed. Just in comparison to Skully his body was darker, and more ashy in color than most. His eyes shone a brilliant blue. Admittedly, though uncommon, he had seen others with that trait. His face otherwise was, for the most part, the same. But instead of the beak formation, like most of the skull children chose to use to appear friendlier to the other forest inhabitants, he allowed his face to take its more natural, featureless appearance. Only when he opened his mouth to speak would anyone see the row of razor sharp teeth he sported. And unlike the orange and green that other skull kids wore, he chose to wear an old, worn kokiri tunic he had found tossed away. Or maybe he stole it. He could not actually remember anymore. Oh well, it didn't matter now!

The two came to a stop in a small meadow. Link recognized it as the area where the two of them often played or performed music together. It also happened to be the place they first met. He could only assume that meant Skull Kid's idea was a lazy morning full of music and laughter. He began to pat his pockets in search of the handmade flute his friend had given him. But as he finally found it and began to pull it out, his friend stopped him.

"Wait Link! Wait, wait, wait! I have something cool to show you first! It's over here."

Link slipped the flute back into his pocket and pattered behind his friend over to the taller of two tree stumps. Skull Kid sifted among a pile of leaves at the base, then pulled something out.

"Check out what I snagged last night!" The boy held in his hands a small, child-sized sword. It was rather plain looking - only a blade and a brown hilt, a small red gem decorating the cross guard. But still the shiny metal caught Link's eye. He tentatively reached a hand out to pick up the blade and held it carefully. For some reason as he gave it an experimental swing, he could not help but feel like there was something nostalgic about it, despite never having held a sword as far as he could remember; the closest he had come would have been his and Skully's little play fights.

His friend watched and let out another giggle. "I thought you might like it. You're always swinging sticks and stuff around, it seemed perfect for you. One of the kokiri ran off without it. You know that orange-haired one that tries to act tough? Yeah, he left it behind." He tilted his head slightly. "What do you think?"

"It's so cool," Link responded, letting it rest at his side. "Can I keep it?"

"I don't see why not?"

Link nodded and made a mental note to find something to sheathe it in later. Maybe he could buy a shield or something to go with it too. Sure, he did not  _need_ them, but it could be fun!

Satisfied with his gift to his friend, the other skull kid leaned back into the leaves and pulled out an old, busted up basket, filled with fruit. "Are you hungry, by the way? I have some leftovers from yesterday still."

Link considered it for a moment, then shook his head. No, he wasn't all that hungry at the moment. The nightmare, as much as he was trying to forget it, was still in the back of his mind, and affecting his appetite.

"More for me then." Skull Kid shrugged, then tossed a berry up into the air, popping it into his beak with a snap. But afterwards, he sat the food aside, and sprang up to sit on the taller rock, finally pulling out his own flute.

"Do you think Saria might come out here today? It's been a while since she ventured out here hasn't it?"

It was Link's turn to shrug. Admittedly, he had not seen the kokiri in a while. Not in the forest at least. But perhaps she had things to do in her village. She seemed to be fairly popular there. Sometimes, he wondered what his life would be like if he had lived there instead. Maybe that was why he chose to make his home so close to the Kokiri Forest, even if it was more isolated from where most skull kids chose to live. He still had Skull Kid to hang around with, who lived not much further from the village of forest children.

"I'm sure she'll show up soon enough," Skull Kid finally said, closing his eyes. "I hope she does. I hope she's not mad at one of us or something. I haven't put any bugs in any of the kokiri houses lately." The boy stuck out his tongue indignantly as he brought the flute up to his lips. He paused, pressing his fingers against the holes as he took a moment to remember the song the fairy girl had taught the two of them. "I don't know why they don't think it's funny. It's not like those tiny little bugs are gonna eat them or anything. Their house, maybe. But they'll be fine!"

With the thought out of his mouth, he took a deep breath and began to play. The first few notes came out slowly, then quickly picked up into the lively tune. Link was quick to join in, standing on the shorter stump after setting his sword aside. After a few minutes of unison, his friend hopped down and began to dance, throwing in a counter melody of his own creation. Link had to hold back giggles as his friend pranced around in a silly manner.

After a few rounds of Saria's Song, the two began to play their own melodies, songs they had made up over time. They even played a few experimental notes to try and create something new. In what felt like no time at all, it seemed like the afternoon sun was filtering from directly overhead, and the two finally settled in for a break to eat.

The two sat with their backs against the larger stump, relaxing almost shoulder to shoulder as they quietly ate the fruit from before and gazed out into the forest.

It seemed like the silence lasted a while, but Skull Kid was the one to finally break it.

"Do you ever wonder what it's like outside the forest?" He asked.

Link tilted his head, an invitation for his friend to continue the thought.

"I mean, it must be so different out there, you know? Kokiri can't leave the forest, and I've never heard of another skull kid who has wanted to. Some of the deku venture out for business and trading, sure. But they rarely come back, and even fewer will tell us about the world out there. Do you ever wonder what it could be like?"

Link's response was a shrug before using his teeth to cut into the thick skin of an orange. "I never really thought about it."

Skull Kid looked like he was going to continue, but instead he shook his head. "Aw well, it's not really important anyways." Unexpectedly, he reached over and pulled Link closer, putting him in a headlock long enough to give him a noogie. Link let out a startled cry that quickly turned to laughter "Why would I want to leave when my best friend is right here!"

After a moment, he let go, and Link flopped over onto the ground and rolled onto his back, looking up at his friend with a toothy smile. Skull Kid was so sweet to him, it was nice having a friend like that.

He genuinely hoped these happy days could last forever.

Again, there was a moment of silence between them then Skull Kid stood up and offered a hand out to Link. Link gratefully accepted and climbed to his feet.

"So, what next Link? Do you want to play a game? Maybe play a prank on some of the kokiri? I have a great idea for one that might just literally knock their socks off."

The offer  _was_ enticing…

But before Link could answer, the two were interrupted but the tell-tale sound of someone approaching. The jingle of a fairy in flight, and in a hurry at that.

"Hey!"


	3. Adventure Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our hero meets with a tree.

* * *

 

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

Link was, in fact, not really listening to the fairy trying to get his attention yet. Nor was his friend, apparently. At the moment, he was only focusing on her appearance. She was a smaller fairy. Her body let off a pale blue-white glow, reminding Link of the Kokiri's guardian fairies. But she was not yet close enough for him to get a whiff of her scent and figure out if she actually was one of the Kokiri Forest fairies. Still, it was rare to find a single fairy by themselves in this area. Maybe she had become separated from her Kokiri?

The fairy did not seem happy about being ignored. She erratically flew up close between his and Skull Kid's faces, until the two were finally forced to acknowledge her. Skull Kid raised a hand up to wave her away from his face.

"Okay, okay fine!" Skull Kid grumbled. "What is it?"

"You two are skull kids," The fairy stated matter-of-factly. "Are either of you a Link. Or do you know a Link?"

Skull Kid paused for a second, then slowly raised up a hand and pointed to his friend. "That's Link."

The fairy turned to look to Skull Kid, then to Link, seeming to calm just slightly. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought it would take me  _hours_  to find you." She fluttered over to Link and flew a couple circles around him as he stood up and tilted his head to the side. "The Great Deku Tree sent me to find you," she explained. "I'm Navi, a fairy in his service. I've been asked to bring you to him. Right away. So please, follow me. It's urgent."

Without waiting for a response, Navi zipped off to the edge of the clearing, before turning back to look at Link expectantly.

Link looked over to his friend, then back to Navi. Skull Kid shrugged and stretched before standing up, offering a hand out to Link. "I say check it out. It's so rare that a fairy comes to give any of us skull kids attention, you don't pass up that kind of opportunity. Besides, it could be fun. And I'll come too!"

Link finally nodded and accepted his friend's hand, climbing to his feet. He paused for a moment to stash his flute back in his pocket, and to pick up the sword from before, then scurried after Navi and his friend.

The fairy zipped through the woods, leading them through clearings and twists and turns at a rapid pace, the boys having to run to keep up. Fortunately, they had already been on the edge of the lost woods, only a short jog from the Kokiri Forest.

Upon their arrival, the fairy continued to make a beeline directly for the far end of the area the Kokiri called home. As Link followed her, he heard some startled cries and gasps from behind him. It wasn't the first time he'd entered the Kokiri Forest, but it  _was_ the first time he'd come in broad daylight in a long time. And although there was no ill will between Kokiri and skull kids, his kind tended to avoid wide open spaces with few places to hide, like this place.

As they reached the end of the clearing, Link had to skid to a stop to avoid stumbling into a Kokiri standing in his way. Navi just fluttered on past the child. Skull Kid, on the other hand, did not stop in time and slammed right into Link. The two tumbled to a ground in a heap, then looked up to the other child, who stood in front of them with his arms crossed.

As the two climbed to their feet, the Kokiri spoke up with an impatient edge to his voice. "Why are  _you two_ here?" The boy asked, tapping his foot.

"Mido, the Great Deku tree asked for them to come," Navi responded for the two, having circled back to see what the holdup was.

"Oh yeah?" Mido narrowed his eyes, unconvinced by the fairy's words, and swept his gaze between the two skull kids. "Why would he ask for either of  _you_ instead of me, the great Mido. The leader of the Kokiri? I don't care if you are Saria's friends, I'm not letting you pass!"

Skull Kid gave the Kokiri a blank, silent, unnerving stare for a long moment. Then he leaned over to Link, and with one hand cupped to the side of his mouth whispered just loud enough for Mido to hear. "Hey. Are we supposed to know this guy?"

Mido seemed to falter for a moment. But his resolve was strengthened when he locked eyes with the sword at Link's side. "Hey! Isn't that my sword?"

Link turned his gaze to his friend, who giggled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, eyes darting back and forth. He "found" it, huh? But before he could question his friend, suddenly, Skull Kid jerked an arm out, pointing to a spot behind Mido. "Hey look, here comes Saria!"

"Huh, where?" Mido twisted to look in that direction. Immediately Link felt a push at his back; Skull Kid gave him a quick shove before taking off past Mido himself. Getting the idea, Link quickly took off after him, the sound of Mido calling after them quickly fading as they left him behind. Skull Kid laughed, and even Link found himself fight back a giggle.

Navi zipped along behind the troublemaker, quickly taking the lead as they finally reached the tree spirit. The trio found themselves in a great clearing, grass spreading as far as the eye could see. In the center was the great guardian spirit of the forest, a tree whose branches stretched far into the sky, covering the entire field in a canopy of leaves.

"Great Deku Tree… I'm back!" Navi exclaimed. "And I found the boy you asked for!"

The tree was quiet for a moment, then in a voice that crackled with age, he slowly spoke, his voice reverberating in the trio's heads. "Oh… Navi… Thou hast returned…" There was another pause. "Link… Welcome… And you as well, other child of the forest… Thou must forgive me, for I know not your name…"

The skull kid blinked once, then laughed and placed his hands behind his head. "Aw that's okay, I don't know my name either! Everyone just calls me Skull Kid, or Skully, like Link here usually does." The boy gave Link a quick pat on the back, then turned his attention to the Great Deku Tree as the spirit began to speak again.

"Whatever thy name may be… as a child of the forest, thou art welcome here... All children of the forest are under mine own protection." With the pleasantries out of the way, the tree then focused his words on Link.

"Listen carefully to what I tell thee… Link, thy sleep these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares."

Link let out a small gasp of surprise and took a step back but nodded in confirmation.

The Great Deku Tree chuckled. "Oh ho, thou must be wondering how I would know that… There will be a time for that later... For now, time is short… As servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land, and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it. Verily, thou hast felt it."

Skull Kid tilted his head and reached a hand up to place it on Link's shoulder. "...Link? Have you been having nightmares lately? Why didn't you tell me?"

Link considered it for a moment, and nodded in response, following it up with a shrug. He had not a clue why he had not told his friend about the dreams. Perhaps it was because he considered it unimportant? He could not say for sure. Whatever it may have been, it was unimportant for now. He turned his attention back to the tree.

"Link… the time has come to test thy courage…" When the boy only tilted his head in response, the tree continued. "I have been cursed… I need thee to break the curse with thy wisdom and courage. Dost thou have the courage to undertake this task?"

Link looked away. "That's a lot to take in," he finally mumbled, letting one arm hang and reaching the other up to grip his elbow. On one hand, this was not his fight. This was not really his home. But on the other hand, he'd always felt some sort of connection to the Kokiri Forest. And if something happened here that he could have prevented? Well, he'd feel pretty terrible. Besides, like the tree had said, even the skull kids out in the Lost Woods, like him, were offered some level of protection by the spirit. So he let his hands rest at his side and nodded.

Again, a silence hung in the air, and then there was a creaking. Slowly, a part of the front of the Great Deku Tree slid down, leaving a great entryway more than spacious enough for Link to be able to walk through.

"Then enter, brave Link… And thou too, Navi… Navi, you must aid Link… Link, listen well to Navi's words of wisdom."

Link gave a nod, and Navi bobbed up and down in response as well. As the two stepped forward though, Skull Kid spoke up.

"Hold on!" He exclaimed, prompting Link to turn his head. He reached into his pockets and removed his flute. It wasn't much of a weapon, but he knew how to use it like one. "Wait for me, I'm going with you." He trotted to catch up to the two, and gave Link a light nudge "What, you think you could just leave me behind? I can help too!"

Link flashed his friend a toothy smile and gave him an enthusiastic nod. The three stood together at the base of the tree for a moment, then together, the two skull kids and Navi stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excluding the prologue, this is the shortest chapter of what I've written thus far, and probably will be the shortest chapter period. Buckle up, it only gets longer from here.


	4. Queen Gohma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the boys explore a dungeon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week's illustration was inspired by the credit art from the Incredibles because wow, what style!

* * *

Link had not expected the inside of the Deku tree to be so… hollow. As the trio entered, he took a moment to look around. The ceiling stretched far above him, so high up, that he couldn't even make out where it ended. Wood cut off at odd intervals, creating ledges that he could stand on and jump from. And vines grew along the walls, giving him a way to climb higher. A large hole opened in the floor, offering access to the Deku Tree's roots. Or it would, if it were not for the layer of a thick, web – like substance blocking access.

Navi flew ahead, zipping past a Deku Baba that popped up and tried to make a snack of her, stopping at a wall of vines leading up. "Link, you guys should be able to climb higher from here!" She called out.

Link nodded and raced ahead, swinging his sword at the carnivorous plant as he ran by. Skull Kid followed behind, blowing a dart through his flute at the stem to sever it and finish the job, but stopped to pick up the seeds the monster left behind before catching up. As Link carefully picked a handhold in the vines, his friend spoke up from behind him.

"See you up there!" Skull Kid responded, pointing to the ledge above before jumping, vanishing in a flurry of leaves.

"Wow, can you do that too, Link?" Navi asked.

Link shrugged before resuming his climb. "Probably," he voiced quietly. But he'd yet to manage to pull him off. Despite the magical abilities of his kind, he'd yet to manage to perform much magic. In fact, the only thing he'd managed to pull off thus far is making plants sprout just a little faster. But one day, he was certain he could be as good at magic as Skull Kid!

As he reached the top and pulled himself up, he caught notice of his friend a little further down the path, checking something on the ground out before sniffing the air. Navi flew ahead to check it out too, leaving him to hurry and play catch up this time.

"Do you smell that?" Skull Kid asked when he reached the two. He paused, sniffing. The air here was damp and earthy in scent but had just the edge of something not quite right. But he couldn't quite place it. His friend pointed up to the vines in front of them. "There's skulltulas up there," he reported.

Link glanced upward, catching notice of a something skittering on the wall in the dim light. Navi fluttered a little higher to check it out, then returned to them to confirm it. "There's several crawling along the vines up there. If they spot you, they'll attack. You should find some way to take them out from down here."

"Oh, I can do that!" Skull Kid responded waving his flute in the air. He took a couple steps back, and when Navi flew up to point out one of the spider-like monsters, he blew a dart through with a "pftweet" sound. The skulltula screeched, and dropped from above, dead by the time it hit the ground. "Hey, Link we could totally make a meal out of that, are you hungry? We never finished lunch."

Link opened his mouth to respond, but before either of them could move, the monster vanished in a small puff of flame.

"These monsters aren't your regular skulltulas," Navi chirped. "They're made from pure evil magic, instead of being natural born, likely a part of the curse on the Deku Tree. They just vanish when you kill them, since they don't truly have a physical form to begin with."

"Aw, that's no fair," Skull Kid groaned. "What if I'm hungry?"

"You eat bugs?" Navi asked.

"You don't?"

"Why would I? That's gross! Link, don't tell me you eat bugs too?"

Link stared for a moment, then just shrugged and gave a sheepish smile.

"Ew! Why?"

"I mean," Skull Kid interjected. "They can't eat us if we eat them first. A termite infestation is literally the worst thing that could happen to us skull kids. Do you have any idea how painful it is to have your wooden body eaten alive by those things? Do you know how hard it is get rid of them once they burrow inside of you? It's pretty gross, the burrow tiny holes to get inside and squirm-"

"Alright alright, sorry I asked!"

Satisfied with the reaction, Skull Kid turned his attention to something at his feet and gave it a nudge. "So, look what I found over here. I think we should keep it, we could totally pull some great pranks with this!

Link looked down to see a small, hand carved slingshot laying on the ground. As he leaned over to place his sword on the ground to pick it up, he could tell that it had been there a while. And yet, it was still in decent condition. He pulled it back experimentally, then gave his friend an enthusiastic grin.

Skull Kid seemed satisfied with the answer. He reached into his pocket, digging around until he found a few of the deku seeds that he had picked up earlier. "Here, try using these, I bet you can hit that other skulltulla up there!"

Link pocketed most of the seeds, keeping one out as ammo. Pulling the sling back, he took careful aim, then released. With a  _thwack_  the second skulltula fell to the ground and disappeared in a fire like the first one.

He looked back to give his friend an enthusiastic smile and, after pocketing the slingshot for later use, reached down to pick up his sword and began to climb the second set of vines. By the time he reached the top, Skull Kid was already waiting for him.

"Took you long enough! Link when we're done saving this big old tree, we're working on your magic skills."

Instead of responding, Link took a look around. The ceiling of the room was just barely visible in the dim lighting of the room. Far below, the floor was visible, light filtering in from the entrance. Most of the walkway was surrounded by the thick, sticky web from before. But there were a few open ledges visible around the path.

As the group approached one of the ledges, Navi flew up high. "Big skulltula up here," Navi announced, zipping around the bug.

"Don't tell me those are gonna disappear too," Skull Kid grumbled as they approached, waiting for it to drop. "Their legs make the best crunchy snacks."

Link gripped his sword tightly as the bug - a bug bigger than him - dropped down in front of him. It spun backwards in an attempt to knock him off his feet, but he sprang back just in time, before leaping forward with a battle cry. With one neat slice down the center of its exposed abdomen, the bug fell to the ground, dead, before disappearing in a puff of flame and smoke like the others had.

"Of course."

Link was the first to venture out onto the ledge. From his vantage point, he could make out the hole in the floor almost directly below him. And as he looked around to the other side of the path they had taken, he could not make out any other ways to go.

"I think…" Navi started, taking her time to consider her idea carefully. "I think if you were to jump, you would have enough force to break through the webs. And the webs would break your fall, so you shouldn't get hurt by it."

Link considered for a moment. But before he could come to a conclusion on if it was a good idea or not, Skull Kid sprang past him, pulling his legs up into his chest to do a cannonball as he fell through the air. Not wanting to lose the material to break his fall or be outdone, Link followed suit. Instead of a cannonball, however, he chose to jump while swinging his sword down in front of him.

The webs had already started to sag under his friend's weight when Link landed on them, and he only lost the tiniest bit of momentum before they broke under the combined weight and the two began to fall again. Fortunately, a shallow pool of water below them broke the remainder of the fall sending up two large splashes as they made contact.

It took a moment for Link to orient himself. Water was already seeping in through the gaps around his joints, soaking into his wooden body. As soon as he saw a raised ledge in the shallows, he swam over to it and then climbed up onto dry land, Skull Kid right behind him.

"Aw, water,  _really?_ " The child grumbled, shaking with a rattle, causing water to fling off his clothing in all directions. "I hate the feeling of getting soaked. It's good we got out fast, but it's still going to take forever to dry out!"

Link gave him a nod of agreement, reached down to wring some of the water out of his clothing, and then lifted his head to look around as a small puddle formed around him. They appeared to be in a cavern under the tree now, roots weaving between the rock and dirt surrounding the area. Across a small gap of water, he could see another room, blocked off by more of the same thick web they'd been coming across. To the side, there was a taller ledge across the water. Too tall to just climb up; the only way forward for the time being appeared to be beyond the webs.

Backing up a few steps first, Link steadied himself, then made a running leap to cross gap to check out the blockade. Skull Kid followed a moment after and looked them over.

"Do you think you could cut these down?" He asked.

There was only one way to find out. Link tightened his grip on the sword and swung with all his might. The strike made barely a noticeable dent in the mess of web, and when he pulled the sword back, bits of web clung to the blade. He shook his head.

"What about fire?" Navi suggested.

"Fire is an absolutely terrible idea." Skull Kid responded. "Do you have any idea how deadly fire is? Besides, where would we even get fire in a place like this?"

"You guys didn't see the torch behind you when you jumped?"

Link turned back. Sure enough, the ledge they had just came from had a single torch lighting it up. It was amazing that they didn't notice one of the few sources of light, really.

"Who just puts a torch under a tree? Why would we notice something like that?" Skull Kid responded.

"Because it's so out of place?" Navi answered with a slight frustrated edge to her voice, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "As for who put it here. Probably some of the more intelligent monsters lurking around down here. Why though, I have no clue."

Link chose to just shrug; it did not matter much to him. All that matted is that they find a way to get the fire to the web. He started to walk back towards the edge, but let out a cry when he suddenly felt something snap around his ankle and pull him off his feet.

He twisted around, just in time to see a deku baba plant retracting, preparing to strike again. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet, just barely avoiding another bite. As it reared up to strike again however, a sharp, pointy object – one of Skull Kid's darts - stabbed it in the head, stunning it and causing it to stiffen up in shock. Link wasted no time in thrusting forward to cut it off at the base, sending it toppling over.

The head stiffened and shriveled, leaving behind a nut and several smaller seeds. The stem also stiffened, leaving behind something like a stick.

Skull Kid moved to pick up the nut - a favorite pranking item of his - while Link sat about the task of picking up the seeds for use as ammo.

Once he had all the seeds, Link too a moment to assess the damage around his ankle. There were small punctures in his bark, but the plant had not bitten down hard enough to break through the outer layer. It might sting for a little bit like a scratch, but he would be fine.

Satisfied with his condition, he glanced back to the stick, and an idea formed in his head.

Setting his sword aside for a moment, he reached down to pick up the stick, and with a running leap, jumped back across to the first ledge. "Stand back," he called out to his friend as he approached the torch. With a slightly unsteady hand, he reached out, keeping as much distance between his wooden body and the fire as he could, and lit the stick. As soon as it caught fire, he spun around and made a run for it, leaping back across the gap and sprinting to the web covered area.

As soon as the fire made contact with the webs, the webs burst into flame, spreading across until it all burned into nothing. Link immediately tossed the stick aside into the water and moved to pick up his sword again.

Skull Kid let out a sigh of relief. "Don't do that again." And with that, the three continued on into the formerly blocked off room.

This room was almost entirely empty, save for a single bush in the middle. Or, not a bush, as it turned out. When the boys drew close, the bush sprang up, revealing glowing orange eyes and a wooden body. But not the body of another skull kid. No, this one was one of the short, leafy Deku Scrub people.

The wooden creature eyed the boys warily, glancing up to the fairy flying behind them, and then to Link. "You," it began, addressing Skull Kid finally. "Why are you here?"

"Oh you know," Skull Kid responded nonchalantly, stepping out in front. "Playing hide and seek, causing mischief, normal skull kid things."

The scrub seemed to consider his words for a moment. "You should leave. It is not safe here. Unless… Perhaps, you're looking for a special kind of mischief?" The monster's eyes seemed to twinkle in the dim light.

The words seemed to catch Skull Kid's attention, and even Link seemed to perk up a little. "What kind of mischief are we talking about?" He asked.

"Oh, A very special type of mischief, I can promise you that. Queen Gohma can tell you all about what to do. But you'll have to get past my brother's first. If you speak to them in the correct order, they'll let you inside." The scrub stood up pointing in the direction of a passage behind him. "The order is two, three, one. Or twenty three is number one, if that helps you remember. Just follow the path, crawl through the little passageway, and then jump down the hole when you get back to the big room. You can't miss it."

And without another word, the scrub burrowed back into the ground.

The trio continued once again, Skull Kid leading the way with a spring in his step. "Wow, I was just joking about the mischief, but I bet we can do something really hilarious when we get to the bottom. Do you think there's some really cool pranking items? Do you think we can totally spook some of the kokiri?"

Navi hung back a little for a moment until they entered the next room. "You… you're not really planning on listening to him, are you?"

The Skull Kid paused, then looked back. "Why not? He seemed like a nice enough guy. Deku Scrubs aren't that bad if you get to know them. In fact, I'm sure they even have their own kingdoms out there! Sure they don't trust many people. But humans attack them too, why would they?"

"I'm not worried about that," Navi responded, flying in front. She came to a stop in front of a ledge. Water stretched out in front of them, and another ledge was just barely visible on the other side of the room. A large, floating platform akin to a raft sat nearby, and Skull Kid hopped down onto it, Link following after. Using his sword, he pushed off to make them begin floating towards the other side.

"I'm worried about this 'Queen Gohma,' and the type of mischief he was talking about." She lowered her voice as the reached the far side and climbed up onto solid ground. "I have a feeling this 'queen' of theirs is the cause of the Deku Tree's curse. We probably are going to have to fight her."

There was a small cliff up ahead. Link tossed his sword up to the top and then, with a running start, sprang forward in an attempt to grab hold of the top. He pulled himself up, but came just short. Skull Kid chose to instead use his teleportation magic again, then sank down to his stomach to offer Link a hand to help pull him up.

"Well, wouldn't fighting her still be mischievous anyways? Either way it's a win-win for me!"

Passing through another small room, the path curved back to the right, opening up to another large room. "Watch out, Big Skulltula up ahead," Navi warned, prompting the boys to each pull out a weapon and fire a shot above. The body dropped like a rock, and like those before, disappeared in a small burst of oddly colored flame. The room now appeared to be empty, as well as a dead end.

"Do you think this is where that crawlspace is?" Skull Kid asked, beginning to move along the left side of the room in search of a hole. Link took up on the idea, searching the other side. After a moment, his wall curved out, and in the dim light, Link could just barely make out the entrance of a hole. More light seemed to pour from the other side.

"Found it!" He called.

"Link! Watch out!"

At the fairy's sudden cry, Link whipped around, sword in hand, just in time to swing blindly at the monster charging at him. It bounced back, letting out a shrill shriek.

Whatever it was, he was not quite sure. It walked on two widespread legs, hobbling this way and that. A single, almost leaf shaped object grew off the top of its round body. And in the center, it had a single emerald eye. As he steadied himself and positioned himself for a fight, its eye turned red. The round appendage at the top also turned red and pointed towards him. Then it sprang. He responded with a thrust, sword driving into its eye. It let out a garbled cry before falling back, dead. It too, like the skulltulas, disappeared in a puff of flame.

But no sooner than he had defeated the one, he heard a crackling noise above. Glancing up, he let out a cry as he noticed another one, half hatched, dropping from above. Unfortunately, he had not noticed in time, and before he could move, the monster fell on top of him, knocking him off his feet.

The creature hopped away, and Link scrambled to his feet before it could strike again. Across the room he could see Skull Kid engaging with a similar monster.

The monster gave the same tell-tale sign of attack as the previous had. As it charged, this time he rolled to the side, already on his feet by the time it turned to face him again. It scrambled back as he charged. He swung wildly to the right, and then to the left, both blows connecting. While it was reeling, he charged forward, driving his sword deep into the monster's eye. With an anguished cry, it slumped over, then vanished.

Safe for now, he turned his attention back to Skull Kid, and the monster that he had been fighting. Fortunately, his friend seemed to be fine. In fact, he seemed more than fine, having made a game out of the fight. When the monster would charge, he would teleport away, leaving a few leaves behind in his wake. When he reappeared, it would turn, and he'd blow a dart into it's eye. It seemed almost blind now, green liquid oozing down its body.

With it focused on Skull Kid, Link turned to finish the job. With a loud yell, he sprang forward and struck from behind, bringing his sword down and cutting a neat gash into its body.

Like the first two, it gave a shrill cry, then vanished in flame.

Now safe, the adrenaline rush crashed, And Link sank to the ground for a moment, in need of catching his breath.

Skull Kid rushed over to his friend's side, lowering his weapon. "Link? Are you okay?" Navi, too, flew over to look the boy over.

Link nodded. On one hand, he ached all over from the impact of the monster. On the other, he wasn't in that bad of condition, all things considered. The only area that hurt a little worse was his right arm, which, when he held it up, he could tell had been scraped by the monster's claws when it hopped away. Fortunately, it just seemed to be a minor scrape; some of the top layers of his bark had been stripped away, but the injury did not reach the inner parts of his body. He couldn't even detect a sign of amber sap seeping out.

"I'm fine… what were those?"

"Gohma larva, I think," Navi explained, hovering close to check the injury. "I don't think we're going to get out of here without a fight."

Link gave her a nod. He should have expected as much. How ironic, that his friend stealing a sword had turned out in their favor.

"We should be getting close… Are you okay to get moving?" The fairy asked before flying up higher to bob up and down. When Link gave her a nod, she landed on his shoulder.

One last glance around the room for trouble, and Link stood up, leading back to the spot he'd found the hole. He got down on his hands and knees, and began to crawl his way through, Skull Kid following after.

"Hee hee, I see your butt," Skull Kid giggled childishly from behind him as they crawled along. Link too giggled in response.

Fortunately, the crawlspace was not long, and Link soon found himself back in the room they had first fallen into. He stood up, brushed himself off, and turned back to offer his friend a hand. Now that they were up here, they could see the big hole the deku scrub had been talking about. Glancing over the edge, they could see another dimly lit pool of water.

Skull Kid groaned. "Well, here we go again." Again, he jumped first, tucking his legs in to hopefully avoid injury in the fall. Link followed behind and landed with a splash beside him.

In front they could see dry ground, and the two quickly swam over, Navi fluttering behind. In front of them, at the far end of the room, they could see three bushes like before. The three scrubs.

After taking a moment to dry off a little, with a giggle, Skull Kid approached first, running for the middle one, and gave it a light tap on the snout when it raised up. "Hi!" He turned to the one on the right and tapped it as well. "Hello!" Then finally he cartwheeled over to the one on the left and gave it a light tap. "Hey, did I do it right? We wanna see your queen."

The scrub blinked, taken aback by the actions. "You… Are you one of us? I suppose you know the code but… He turned his gaze back to warily stare at the fairy resting on Link's shoulders. "Why does your friend come in kokiri clothing? Why the fairy?"

"Oh he's just a little odd is all." Skull Kid responded quickly, grinning and hoping his bluff came out as convincing. "She's just here in case we need a little pick-me up. Did you know humans sometimes catch fairies in bottles in hopes they'll heal them later? It's so weird. I saw a kokiri do it once. I think it was a kokiri."

The scrub considered his words for a moment. If he could, Skull Kid would have been sweating.

"Let me speak with the queen, you wait right here."

"Hold on just a second!" Skull Kid responded quickly, before the scrub could move. He reached his hand into the pocket. "Maybe this will convince you we mean no harm?" Suddenly, he whipped his hand out, tossing a deku nut onto the ground. There was a sudden flash of bright light.

"RUN!" he called to Link. Link did not have to be told twice. While the three scrubs were still recovering, the two dashed past, into the final room.

The room was dark. So dark, that the only light was the faint glow of Navi, and the two skull kid's eyes. And something dim, on the ceiling. Link looked up, and then cried out in alarm.

The monster dropped from above, landing in front of the trio. Although they could not make the features out well in the dark, it appeared to be similar in appearance to the smaller larval monsters they had battled earlier. Only bigger. Much, much bigger.

Gohma.

The monster's eye glowed red, and it charged, attempting to slam down on the two boys. They scattered, Link rolling to the side, and Skull Kid teleporting a short distance away.

"Okay, this is starting to get a bit tiring," Skull Kid called out, referring to the dodge. "I may have overdone it a little! I'm not sure how much more magic I can do right now!"

Gohma turned its attention to the other boy, and for a moment, he froze in place. She charged again, swinging out and sending him flying back several feet with an "oomph." By the time he scrambled to his feet, she was already rushing at him again.

"Skull Kid!" Navi called out from the other side as Link ran across the room. "Shoot its eye when it turns red, its eye!"

Skull Kid didn't have to be told twice. As it made another attempt at slamming on top of him, he sprang back, and then shot a dart into the monster's eye. The monster cried out in anger, then dropped to the ground, temporarily stunned.

Link, having reached his friend, lunged forward, driving his sword into Gohmas eye, then pulled it back out with a twist. The monster screamed in agony, green blood gushing from the wound. Blindly, it swiped out to try and sweep him off his feet. Link jumped, but wasn't quite fast enough, and found himself knocked to the ground. He just barely had time to scramble out of the way as the monster came charging, rushing past him to climb up onto the wall and then ceiling.

Gohma turned back towards them, blood dripping down onto the floor. Link motioned to Skull Kid to prepare himself, and the other boy readied another dart. As soon as Gohma steadied itself for another attack, he shot it, and, caught off guard, the monster fell to the floor, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

Not wanting to waste another minute, Link rushed in, this time hacking and slashing at the surface of the eye until it seemed to be covered in bloody gashes. The monster tried to swing out at him again, but this time he was ready. And as soon as it finished its movement he jumped driving the sword as deep into its eye as he could with his momentum.

It screeched, and thrashed, and threw Link off, sword still buried deep inside. He rolled a couple times with an "oof," and got to his feet just in time to see the monster blindly crash into a pillar. It stumbled, once, twice, then let out a dying scream before falling to the ground, slowly disintegrating into flames and dust, leaving only Link's sword behind.

There was a long, tense moment of silence, then a ring of light appeared in the center of the room. Link limped over to pick up his sword. None of his injuries appeared to be serious, fortunately – just scrapes and possibly a few small cuts – but he would feel them for some time yet.

"We did it!" Skull Kid cheered before racing over to his friend to give him a hand. "That was so cool! Totally gross, but cool! Too bad its body disappeared, we could have made a week's worth meals out of her, if she was edible! Come on, let's get out of here and go celebrate!"

And with those words, the trio stepped into the circle of light, and relaxed as a gentle, warm light surrounded them.


	5. Cracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which someone must leave.

* * *

 

Using a warp gate was a new experience for Link. It was a different feeling from a skull kid's teleportation magic. His attempts at trying to use the skill always felt cold and empty, like trying to push through nothingness. Skull Kid said that was normal, so he supposed he believed it.

The warp gate, however, felt warm and inviting, like being wrapped up in a cozy blanket. And it did not even require any energy or concentration! It sounded ideal to him; too bad it only worked at a fixed point.

As the feeling faded and he opened his eyes, he found himself standing back in front of the Great Deku Tree, Skull Kid and Navi beside him.

"Well done Link… And you two as well, Navi, and young skull kid…" The Great Deku tree's words reverberated all around the trio, and they turned their heads to stare. "Thou hast verily demonstrated thy courage…"

Link grinned sheepishly at the praise, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't have done it without the help of Navi and Skull Kid, he was sure of that. How fortunate he was to have at least one friend in this world! Speaking of Skull Kid, the other child sprang forward with lighthearted laughter and quickly wrapped his arms around Link from behind in a big hug.

The jubilant atmosphere could not last for long, however, as the tree continued to speak with a low rumble.

"Link, now that thy task is complete, I have yet more to tell ye, wouldst thou listen…"

Link turned his attention back to the tree, tilting his head up and blinking a couple times before taking a seat in the grass. Skull Kid, curious, sat down as well.

Once they settled, the speech resumed. "Now...listen carefully...A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me…"

* * *

When the Great Deku Tree's story had concluded, it left an uneasy feeling in the air. He spoke of great power, great goddesses, and great evil. Of danger approaching. Of a man seeking power to destroy everything. Although Skull Kid did not seem too concerned with the implications of the story, Link couldn't help but feel like a burden had sank into his heart.

The tree still had yet more to say, however. "Thou must never allow the desert man in black armor to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce… Thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend… That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power… Because of that curse, my end is nigh…"

There was a quiet jingling noise as Navi hopped to alertness and flew up into the air. "Wait, you can't mean…No!"

"It is so… Though your valiant efforts to break the curse were successful, I was doomed before you started… Yes, I will pass away soon… But do not grieve for me… I have been able to tell you of these important matters… This is Hyrule's final hope…"

Now Link had climbed to his feet, and even Skull Kid seemed to be paying close attention. He felt something fall on him. Looking up, he could see a few leaves turning color – to greys and dried up browns – and falling from the tree's branches. Link clenched his fists. He… He had a feeling he understood what the tree was trying to tell him.

"Link...Go now to Hyrule Castle...There, thou will surely meet the Princess of Destiny… Take this stone with you. The stone that man wanted so much, that he cast the curse on me…"

A soft glowing light appeared in front of them, similar to the magic of the warp they had used before. When it faded, an ornamental stone remained in its place before it slowly began to float down. Link reached out his hands, catching it when it came close enough.

He ran a thumb along the gem's surface It was quite large. Large enough, in fact, for him to have to use both hands to hold it. The gemstone was cut to look circular and was a brilliant green in color, sparkling in the late-afternoon sun. It was nestled within a golden piece that curved around the side, and then around to the front.

Too large for his pockets, and not having many other options, Link chose to stow it inside his hat. He would have to find some other bag to store it in at a later point. But for now, it would have to do.

"The future depends upon thee, Link… Thou art courageous…" The Deku Tree finally stated before turning his speech to address the fairy beside Link. "Navi the fairy… Help Link to carry out my will…"

"B-but-"

"I entreat ye... Navi… Good...bye…"

There was a deep, creaking noise as the tree let out his final words. His brown bark slowly turned to a dry, ashy grey. When the noise stopped, there was a moment of silence. And then a leaf fell onto Link's shoulder. He looked up, and could see more leaves turning grey and brown, and beginning to fall off the tree.

The three stood in silence for a long moment. Whether it be that they were stunned, or just unable to find words, it could not be sure. Finally, it was Navi that broke the silence, in a voice that cracked as she drooped in the air.

"Goodbye… Great Deku Tree…"

She continued to be silent for a moment, then, forcing herself to perk up, she gave Link a little nudge against his cheek. "Let's go to Hyrule Castle, Link."

Link hesitated for a moment, giving the husk of the tree one last look, then finally nodded before picking up his sword and turning to leave.

Skull Kid finally snapped out of his stupor as soon as he realized Link had begun to walk away. He ran the few paces to catch up. "Wait, you can't be serious, can you? You're not really leaving, are you?"

Link paused and slowly turned back to look at his friend. Skull Kid placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you know how  _dangerous_ it is outside the forest? You've never been out there – well, as far as you can remember. I know everything sounded bad, but wouldn't it be better to just… stay here and wait things out? It might not even happen! That guy the tree was talking about needs all three of these rock things, right? And if he doesn't know where you are, how is he going to find it?"

Link considered his words for a moment staring before letting his gaze fall to the ground. Skull Kid was not totally wrong, in all honesty. He did not really want to go. The idea of leaving the forest that had shaped every memory that he could remember was, quite honestly, terrifying. But…

"I have to try," he finally responded quietly.

He felt Skull Kid's hand lift from his shoulder. When he looked back, the boy had shifted back several steps, his hands tapping together nervously. "But… but what if something happens, I… you… what if something happens  _to you_?"

Link's gaze fell again. Navi floated down beside him. "I understand what you're saying but… shouldn't I at least tell the princess? The Deku Tree asked me to. And… it only feels right."

"But why would she believe you? I mean. You and I. People think we're monsters! She'd probably just have you killed!"

"Nonsense," Navi chimed in, but when the skull kid gave her a sharp look, she closed her mouth. Still, she refused to back down from his gaze.

"I… if the Deku Tree trusts her, then so do I," Link finally said. "I have to take the chance that the stone will be proof enough."

" _YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT!_ " Skull Kid cried out, his tone causing Link to flinch. Silence seemed to stretch out forever, before he brought his hands up to his chest and spoke in a quiet, faltering voice.

"You, you… why do you want to leave so bad all of a sudden? D-did did I do something wrong?" skull kids could not cry, but with the sniffle and the shaky, cracked voice, Link could tell he would be if he could. The emotions were the same. His hands dropped to his side, and his head hung low. His body was shaking, giving off the slightest rattle.

Link started to reach a hand up to give his friend a comforting pat. But before he could, Skull Kid clenched one hand into a fist and smacked Link's hand away with the other.

" _Fine!_ Just leave! Go away and don't come back!" His voice dropped and became mournful, tinged with years of bitterness. "Everybody always leaves…"

Before Link had a chance to protest, Skull Kid pushed past, rushing off at a dash. A few feet away, he jumped in the air, attempting to teleport into the darkness of the forest. But his magic was expelled, and he only made it a few feet before falling flat on his face. He did not let it stop him, however, and scrambled back up to his feet, continuing his retreat.

Link's arms dropped to his sides, and he almost let his sword slip out of his hands. If his heart had already felt burdened, now it was bursting with heartache. His friend… His best friend… He had never seen him so, upset. Downtrodden. He had  _never_ seen him more upset than acting mildly inconvenienced or annoyed, in fact.

"Link… You should go find him." Navi's voice cut into his thoughts. "He seemed really upset. And he seems like the type of kid to act  _really_ rashly when he's upset. But… I bet if you two just talked about it, he'll feel better. Maybe you can leave on a better note."

Link was not completely sure she was right. He might just need some space but… He nodded. He certainly did not want to leave the forest on a sour note like that.

He gave one last look back to the corpse of the deceased spirit, then, gripping his sword tightly, he headed back towards the Kokiri Forest.

* * *

" _What did you do?"_

Link failed to make it very far without an interruption.

As he'd reentered the forest, the fairy boy from before, Mido, stood in his path, blocking his way back to the lost woods.

"The Great Deku Tree… did he…  _die?_ "

"Mido," Navi answered. "It's not what it looks like. There was-"

"No, don't defend him." Mido interrupted. "I think it's exactly what it looks like. How could you let something like that happen? Or worse,  _how could you do something like that!_ It's all your fault." The boy stomped to the side, fists clenched, then stabbed a finger towards the entrance of the Lost Woods. "Get out of here, like your friend did. And don't come back!"

Link took off without looking back, eyes trained on the entrance back to the Lost Woods in the distance.

"And if you see Saria," the boy yelled after him, "don't you dare lay a finger on her! You hear me?!"

* * *

Skull Kid was not in their favorite clearing, the first place Link searched. Checking his tree stump home, as well as Skull Kid's, proved to be fruitless as well. When it came to decoration, Link's home was much sparser than the latter's, with only a few handmade trinkets and gifts here and there, sitting around or placed into caved indentations in the tree. His pride was the small table that Saria had given him, in exchange for rupees that he had found scattered and abandoned in the forest (and from raiding jars in the Kokiri houses at night, but she didn't need to know about that little secret).

Skull Kid's home, on the other hand, was much more cluttered. Several carefully polished rupees, as well as other little trinkets that he'd found or… acquired from travelers passing through the forest that Skull Kid had pranked, were scattered about. Mostly shiny things, but a few musical instruments and even a wooden mask were mixed in, too. Link was starting to suspect his friend might have a problem.

Besides the mess, his friend's most precious belongings were hidden under his bed, made of piled and pressed leaves. But the bed looked undisturbed. Skull Kid likely had not been back since he left that morning.

With a sigh, Link returned outside. Night had fallen some time ago now, and Link was starting to worry that he would not be able to find his friend before he had to leave. Crestfallen, he took a seat on a rock outside. Navi flew put behind him and perched on his shoulder.

For a moment, the duo sat in silence. Navi, of course, was the one to break it. "Has he ever reacted to something like this before?"

Link simply shook his head and pulled his knees up to his chest. He gazed out into the shadowy forest and barely moved when Navi gave him a comforting nudge.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can find him. Is there anywhere else you two hang out?"

Cheered up slightly, Link thought back to their most common places to play. There was the valley that most of the other skull kids lived in, but he doubted his friend would go there when he was so upset; though they had much in common, the two of them were not nearly as close to the rest of their kind as they were each other, or Saria even. Then there was the pond where they liked to fish… but he doubted his friend would want to be anywhere around water after their little adventure. That left-

His thoughts were interrupted when the distant mournful sound a flute caught his ears, carried on the wind.

The sacred grove.

Immediately, he hopped up, and dashed off, leaving Navi to speed behind him in attempt to catch up.

He raced through the forest, expertly dodging this way and that at the last second. The woods may twist and turn to throw off people. But the Lost Woods were just as much his playground as his home. And he could not be thrown off by it anymore.

The flute had grown louder when he reached an overgrown clearing. The rock formations here always seemed odd to him, twisting and turning sharply like some unnatural maze. He had no time to waste on them though. Gathering up all his strength, he dashed forward and sprang, grabbed hold of a ledge, and pulled himself to the top. Once up, it was only a matter of leaping over the gaps as he approached his destination.

He slowed as he passed between the two rock walls leading to the meadow and sniffed at the air. Skull Kid was here. And so was someone else. They too, smelled of the forest. Of fallen leaves and forest dew. But there was also a hint of wildflowers and dirt beneath it all. Even though it had been weeks since he'd last seen her, he could recognize that scent anywhere.

The flute music came to an end, growing quieter until it stopped completely. Link stayed back and hid as a quiet clapping responded.

"That was lovely, Skull Kid," Saria's voice wafted from the side. "Did you make it up yourself?"

"No." Skull Kid's voice came from further in. From a higher up point from what he could tell. He still sounded as dejected as he had when he ran off. "I learned from some f- from some people a long time ago…"

Link heard Saria hum the tune for a moment. "Well, it really is beautiful, if sad. Does it have a name?"

"I… I don't know, actually."

"Maybe you can teach it to me sometime?"

"Maybe…"

Crickets chirped. In the distance, a wolfos howled. For a while, it was quiet. Then Link could make out a quiet sniffling. Then sniffles turned to sobs. When Saria spoke again, her voice was quiet, concerned.

"Are you okay? I've never seen you like this…"

"I'm fine…"

Saria did not sound convinced. "I heard Mido say early this afternoon that you and Link went to see the Great Deku Tree. Did something happen?"

Link crept a little closer.

"It's not important…"

"Skull Kid, I've never seen you apart from Link since you two met. I have a feeling it's  _very_ important."

"Why does it matter to  _you_?"

"Because I consider you my friend, Skull Kid. And I worry about my friends when they're upset."

Skull Kid was quiet for a long, long moment. Link began to creep up to see what he was doing but shot back down when he heard the other child blurt out "He's leaving me!"

Navi began to float up for a better look, but Link grabbed her and pulled her back down, bringing a finger up to his face in a shushing gesture.

Skull Kid's voice cracked as he continued. "H-e-he he s-aid he was gonna-na leave, be-be-because-" he cut off and took a long deep breath in an attempt to steady his breathing and his speech. "Because the tree told him to."

Link finally peeked from his hiding place. Skull Kid had moved, he was sitting on the ground now. Saria had moved too and was in the middle of sitting down next to the boy.

"I-I don't understand. He… I thought he cared about me, a-and he's just gonna leave me behind because a tree told him to! A-am I not important? I-I thought we were… were best friends…" The boy dropped his head into his hands. "I thought Link thought I was special? He barely even knows the Deku Tree. He doesn't know this person the Deku Tree is sending him after. Were we ever even friends to begin with after all?"

The child sniffled. Saria slowly lifted a hand, then gave him a gentle pat on the back, and he sobbed.

His head shot up into the air, as if crying out to the goddesses themselves. " _What's wrong with me? WHY DOES EVERYBODY ALWAYS LEAVE!?"_

Total silence. Even the bugs had ceased their noise. Saria said nothing. But she slowly reached an arm over to wrap around his side in hopes of comforting him with a hug. Skull Kid, surprisingly, accepted, leaning into her side.

"Every friend I ever had- thought I had. Everyone always leaves…"

"Oh, Skull Kid," Saria said quietly. "That's not true, you know I would never leave you, right?"

"That's what everyone says…"

Navi could not stay quiet any longer.

"H-Hey, Link doesn't want to leave though!"

Skull Kid sprang to his feet, spinning around. Saria whipped her head around but stood slowly. Link, cover blown, slowly emerged from his hiding spot. Skull Kid squeezed his hands into fists before lowering his head and averting his gaze.

"H-how long have you been there?" The boy grumbled.

"Since you quit playing your music," Navi responded, fluttering around Link for a moment before flying over to the other two. "We've been looking for you all evening Skull Kid, Link's been worried sick!"

Skull Kid tilted his head up to look at the other skull kid. Link's eyes seemed to waver in the dark. "You… have?"

"Of course we have! Why wouldn't he be worried when his friend runs off all upset?"

"Then… did you decide to stay?"

Link averted his gaze. "Well…"

"Oh."

An awkward silence stretched out. But, surprisingly, it was Link that broke the silence.

"I… didn't mean to hurt you when I said I was leaving. It's just… You know better than anyone I've always felt… connected to the Kokiri Forest. Like there's something I'm forgetting that I had to do there before… you know… And… maybe this was it."

"But," Skull Kid countered, "you don't even know the Great Deku Tree. You've known me for a long time, and you're going to choose some tree over me?"

"... I did meet him, once. That's how he knew my name."

Skull Kid's eyes tilted up to meet Links.

"It was… a little bit after we first met, I believe. I was sneaking around the Kokiri Forest at night and got my directions mixed up. I ended up in front of the tree and it started to rain, and he offered me shelter."

"I remember that," Saria piped up. "It was when we first met, too. You fell asleep among the Great Deku Tree's roots. I woke you and sent you on your way before anyone else could find you there."

Link nodded. "So when his last request-"

"Last?" Saria interjected.

"He…" Navi started. "I… I'm sorry, The Great Deku Tree is dead," When Saria opened her mouth to let out a gasp and took a step back, she added, "Sorry you had to find out this way. We were trying to save him but… it was too late."

Saria turned her head, trying to hide the tears threating to spill over as she did her best to keep her voice steady. "I see…"

"He asked Link to take something to the princess of Hyrule. And that's what lead to now."

Saria took a seat on the ground, legs suddenly feeling weak.

"Someone really evil hurt the Great Deku Tree. That's why Link is leaving to warn the princess. Because if the bad guy wins, we could all be in danger."

Saria knit her brows together and took a deep breath. "It's… a lot to take in all at once. I, guess I'm not all that surprised. About you leaving, I mean. You've always been a little different, certainly different from myself and the Kokiri, but different from the other skull kids too. But, even when we're apart, we can still be friends, right?"

Link considered her words, then gave a nod, his mouth parting to show the smallest of smiles.

Then he turned his attention to Skull Kid, who had turned away.

"Skull Kid… I'm sorry. I didn't know how much me leaving would hurt you. But, I won't be gone forever. Hopefully, once I deliver the stone, I can come back home. And then we can go back to playing again. No matter what, I swear I'm going to come back."

Skull Kid finally looked back up. "Do you… do you promise? You have to promise that you'll come back." He held out his hand, extending a pinky.

Without hesitation, Link reached out and linked his pinky with Skull Kid's, then pulled his friend in for a big hug. They embraced for several minutes before Saria cut in.

"Sorry to bother you two, but I have something for you Link." She reached into her pockets and fished something out. It was an instrument, made of wood and similar to a potato in shape.

Link pulled away and accepted the instrument in his hands. It was suspended on a string, allowing him to place it around his neck.

"This is a Fairy Ocarina. It's carved from the wood of the Great Deku Tree. It has magical properties because of that. If you play my song, you can talk to me at any time. And if Skull Kid is with me, you can talk to him too."

Link's face lit up, and he leaned forward to give Saria a hug too. "Thank you so, so much Saria. I'll take good care of it."

Saria smiled sadly. "Why don't we get you set for your trip then, so you can leave first thing in the morning. You need a scabbard for that sword of yours. And you could really use a shield too. I can get you one from the Kokiri Shop. But then I need to start… preparing funeral arrangements I guess… It's weird. Death isn't something us Kokiri usually have to deal with."

Skull Kid sniffed, then wiped the bottom of his beak with his glove. "I think Mido has a scabbard that he isn't using. I could get it for you."

"I thought you didn't know who Mido was," Link pointed out.

"Did I say that?" Skull Kid responded, looking away in faux innocence. If he was still upset, he sure was doing a good job of hiding it.

Link laughed. He was really, really going to miss these guys.

* * *

Dawn came far earlier than Link had expected. When the three had parted ways, he had headed straight home to rest up. But he'd first spent time getting his belongings stashed away. Skull Kid could watch his house some, but he would not want some other skull kid or a wild animal stealing all his stuff or worse: moving in.

His friends were already waiting for him when he reached the bridge outside Kokiri forest. Saria held a small, wooden shield at her side, while Skull Kid was - very badly - hiding a scabbard behind his back and grinning sheepishly. He could not catch Saria's words from where he was, but she certainly looked like she was giving one heck of a lecture. He only managed to catch the last few words.

"So, as I was saying,  _please_ stay out of Mido's hair. He's a good guy once you get to know him, really."

"I'm a pretty good guy too, but you don't see me bragging."

Saria shook her head, then, noticing Link, put on a smile. "There you are! We've been waiting for you!"

Link smiled, and Navi popped out from under his cap. He approached Saria first, giving her a hug before accepting the shield and strapping it onto his back.

"Stay safe, okay?"

He nodded, then turned his attention to Skull Kid. He took the scabbard first, adjusting it so that he could sling it over his shoulder before sheathing the sword, then quickly wrapped his friend in a big snug hug.

"Ack! Link! Too tight!"

Link released his friend with a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

Skull Kid gave a satisfied nod, then leaned in to give Link a looser hug. "Remember, you promised."

Link wrapped his arms back around his friend. "You know you could come with me, if you wanted to."

For a moment, Skull Kid's eyes lit up. But he quickly shook his head. "Thanks, I'd love to go on a big adventure with you, but… I don't think they could handle the two of us. Besides, who would watch all your stuff then?" He giggled, then grew more serious. "But you better call Saria every day. I'll be waiting to hear from you!"

Link nodded slightly. "Don't worry, I will. I'll be back before you know it."

Skull Kid nodded and finally let go, taking a step back, and tapped his hands together nervously.

For a second, Link closed his eyes. He could just stay here. He  _wanted_  to stay here with his friends. But it seemed like fate did not agree. So, with one final wave to his friends, he took off, dashing through the tunnel leading out of the forest.

* * *

It felt Like Link walked through the woods for a long time after leaving his friends behind. So long, in fact, that he wondered it would ever actually end. Was the world really just one big forest? Navi had stopped flying behind after a while, and instead chosen to nestle underneath his cap.

But finally, the trees began to thin, and more and more sunlight began to filter through the gaps. Link blinked as his eyes adjusted to the brighter light. To either side, the ground began to incline steeply, leaving a narrow path to continue down, until finally, the trees came to an end.

Encouraged, Link raced forward to the end of the path, stopping short of the end to take a look around where the walls dropped out.

In front of him stretched out a field, like one of the many meadows that dotted the lost woods. But larger.  _Much_ larger. A few trees dotted the landscape here and there, but otherwise, it was grass as far as the eye could see. He could not even see the other end of it!

As he slowly made his way out to the open, he heard a heavy flutter of wings behind him. He ignored it at first. Birds were extremely common in the forest, after all.

"Hoot hoot! Link, up here!"

Link whipped around, beginning to reach for his sword. He had seen a lot of birds in his lifetime, but never any that could talk.

The bird resting in the tree in front of him was huge, more than twice his size, and far larger than any bird he had ever seen. It was some type of owl, mostly covered in dark brown feathers, excluding its creamy chest and face. Its beak, too, was the same brown color, and just above it sprouted two huge feathers, similar to eyebrows. When the bird flipped his head upside down for a moment, the darker markings below his face created a second, fake face.

"Hoo hoo, there's no need for weapons my boy, I mean you no harm."

Link looked unconvinced, but slowly let his grip on the sword loosen when the bird made no movement to swoop down on him.

Satisfied, the bird bobbed it's head up and down before beginning his speech.

"Well, well, it looks like the time has finally come for you to start your adventure!" Before Link had a chance to question how the bird would know anything about his quest, let alone why he would know something like his name, the bird continued with more cryptic statements.

"You will encounter many hardships ahead... That is your fate. Don't feel discouraged, even during the toughest times!"

Link couldn't help but gulp and honestly considered reaching for his sword again. But instead he continued to listen to the bird's advice.

Go straight this way and you will see Hyrule Castle. You will meet a princess there… As long as you head forward, you can't miss it."

"But what if we do?" Navi asked, emerging from Link's cap to speak for him.

"I hope you would have a map, but if not, there are not many places you could go as you currently are, you will find your way there in time. Did you get all that?"

Link nodded his head slowly, before opening his mouth to question the bird. But he did not get a chance as it began to flap its great wings and take to the air.

"Wait!" Navi called out. "At least give us your name!"

"You may call me Kaepora Gaebora, small one!" The owl called out behind him as he began to climb higher into the sky. "We will meet again later, do take care!" And without another word, the owl was out of range, leaving Navi and Link with more questions than answers.

For a moment, Link stood in stunned silence, trying to process exactly what happened. But Navi did not give him much time.

"Come on Link, we should hurry if we want to make it to the castle by nightfall!"

The thought of being left exposed in the dark was enough to get the skull kid moving. With a quick nod, he took off in the direction the owl had suggested. He sure hoped he had not been lying.

Next stop, Hyrule Castle.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you that were expecting Skull Kid to go with Link and might be disappointed that he did not, don't worry. He has a MAJOR role in the story yet, he's just taking a back burner position for a little while.
> 
> I worried a little about the pacing of this chapter a little, but even though it may look like they got things all wrapped up neatly before leaving, I can assure you that things are not all nice and neat.


	6. Skeletons, Masks, and Other Goodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Link makes friends.

* * *

 

"Wait!"

But the drawbridge did not wait. As Link raced in forward in vain hopes of jumping and making it in time, he had to skid to a stop, teetering dangerously at the edge, threatening to topple over into the moat below.

Navi looped around to the front of him and gave him just the slightest of pushes to bring him back to stable ground. He fell back with a thump, and the drawbridge rumbled to a stop in front of him.

He let out a sigh, then glanced back to the sun as it slowly dipped below the horizon, the sky a blazing orange. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the sound of a wolf. Or a wolfos. It did not matter either way; it was not safe here in the open.

He climbed back to his feet and, keeping low to the ground, began to make his way around the edge of the town walls, hoping in vain that there might be some sort of way he could get in. Not even teleportation magic could help him here, even if he was skilled enough to use it - he would have had to have a clear vision of the area he was trying to warp to.

His search for an entrance was quickly proving fruitless, and as the sky turned to night, a spike of uneasiness edged in his stomach. Or maybe it was hunger, or both.

Up ahead he spotted a small tree. It wasn't the sturdiest one he'd ever seen, a dwarf in comparison to the great trunks of the trees in the Lost Woods. But never the less, it was large enough that he could climb up and rest in it for a while. He took off towards it at a trot, continuing to stay low to the ground.

As soon as he was close enough, he sprang up, grabbing hold of the lowest sturdy branch, and swung himself higher to a thicker branch that he could sit on. It was not an ideal resting spot, but it would work.

He sat with his back to the trunk and reached down into the sack he had brought along in search of food. He had not been able to pack much: a few berries for today and some nuts were all he could carry. Most of his foods would have spoiled quickly during travel. He would have to see if he could get ahold of something more filling in the town tomorrow.

Picking a particularly juicy looking berry, he tossed it into the air, popping it into his mouth with a snap. As he continued to chew on the succulent fruits, he glanced up to the rising moon. It had taken him only a day to get here, but still it already felt like he'd been gone from the forest forever. Already he was missing playing music with Skull Kid in the moonlight or playing tag with other skull kids in the dark. He even missed sneaking into the Kokiri Forest in search of abandoned rupees and knickknacks (and sometimes not-so abandoned treasures, if he was honest with himself. But hey, he can say with pride that he never attacked someone to take their valuables, so that's something!)

He glanced down and rolled around one of the berries in between his fingers, wondering if he could find the forests delicacies out here in the big open world. He did not like this "Hyrule Field." It was not like the forest, with hiding places everywhere. Instead, he felt open and exposed, visible to everyone who wanted or did not want to see him.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sounds of dirt shuffling below him, rattling coming from within. A rattling not unlike his kind's own. Cautious, he glanced down. A skeletal hand had broken the surface, a second one widening the hole close behind. A head poked out of the ground; a skull, more specifically. The rest of the body came rolling after, reassembling itself once each part reached the surface. For the most part it was humanoid, but the creature's face jutted out far more than a human skull would, looking a bit more canine in appearance. Several other bodies seemed to be coming to the surface further out, shambling about the field. He wondered if perhaps this was part of why the town's gates were closed.

"Navi, what is that?" Link whispered to the fairy peeking out from under his cap.

"They're stallchildren," Navi explained in a hushed voice. "They're a species related to stalfos."

"Where do they come from?"

"Stalfos usually come from two places- adults lost in the woods, or people who died in battle. Stallchildren are… well… I don't know for sure. They could be anything from children to adult civilians that were killed in battle, possibly?"

Link was about to ask for more clarification, but his voice caught in his throat when he looked back down to the stallchild below them… who was staring right back up at him.

He blinked, his glowing blue orbs flickering out for just a split second, and the creature's red-orange orbs blinked back. Slowly, it raised a hand in greeting. He slowly waved back.

"I think it's friendly," Link whispered to his fairy.

"They're not known to be friendly or kind to humans, or most living species in general." she countered. And then something clicked in her mind. "But you're not really totally alive yourself, are you?"

Link tilted his head inquisitively, shrugging.

"Never mind, we'll talk about it some other time."

With his curiosity getting the better of him, Link slowly started to slide down from the tree, gripping hold of the branch until he was hanging from it so that he minimized his fall. He landed with a soft thump.

A couple more of the stallchildren had taken notice of him and had begun to hobble over curiously. As he tilted his head at the stallchild in front of him, it mirrored his movements. Once the other two had arrived, the three began to talk in hushed whispers.

"What is it? What is it?"

"Is… it is not human?"

"Is not like us? What is it?"

One of them - the largest one - hesitantly reached a bony hand out. Link took a couple steps back, but that only made it move faster. It took hold of his arm, ignoring his cry of surprise, and looked it over."

"Is wood, like tree!"

"Is tree?"

"Is a tree!"

"I'm not a tree!" Link countered, and when he spoke, the one gripping his arm recoiled suddenly.

"It spoke!"

"It speaks!"

"What is it, then?"

Navi, building up her courage, popped out from beneath Link's hat and fluttered in front of him defensively. "He is  _not_ a tree. He is a skull kid, from the Lost Woods!"

"Not tree!"

"A fairy!"

"Skull kid!"

His eyes drifted between the three of them, and he was starting to wonder if they had interacted with  _anyone_ outside of themselves.

Finally, the first one that had spotted him spoke up, finally addressing him directly. "You are skull kid from the forest… and… have fairy. Is a skull kid friendly?"

He considered the question for a moment, then nodded. "If you are friendly, I am. My name is Link."

"Link!"

"You look similar to a tree, but also similar to stallchild. Why?"

"Because he is similar to a stallchild," Navi explained. "He was lost in the forest when he was young, he became a skull kid, like you became a stallchild when you died."

"Me? I don't remember being not a stallchild!" The leader argued. The other two nodded in agreement, rattling.

"I don't remember not being a skull kid either," Link admitted. "All I remember is my name. And pain, and then being a skull kid. Everyone says I was not a skull kid before, but they don't know who I was."

The stallchildren seemed to think it over, then the leader nodded in acceptance. "Well, tonight, you are Friend!" It threw its hands up in the air, rattling its bones.

The other two threw their hands up in the air and said in unison, "Friend!" And before Link could say anything the three surrounded him, and began to walk in a circle around him, doing a funny little rattling dance.

But finally, the first one broke away from their dance.

"If friend is from the forest, why is friend so far from forest?" It asked.

Link pointed to the walls beyond the moat. "I'm trying to get inside to go see the princess."

The leader let out a tiny surprised noise, while the other two looked to each other and with whispers of "princess?"

Then the leader laughed. "Friend is funny! Humans not let monsters into town, unless monsters bring wares and good tidings for sale!"

The idea of being referred to as a monster made Link uncomfortable. He wasn't a monster, he was himself! But to a human… he would appear monstrous or as a spirit, with his wooden body and glowing eyes and pointy teeth, and the dark spirit energy that allowed his body to move.

On the topic of merchant monsters, Link could only guess that they meant the Deku Scrubs he occasionally saw peddling goods from their flowers. Sometimes, they would tell stories of great human towns if they were bored, for a few rupees of course.

"They won't let anyone in till morning," the leader continued, with agreeing echoes of "morning coming from the other two."

Link let out a sigh. He expected as much, but still, he would have liked to get in sooner. The night had just fallen, and with the stallchildren roaming the field, he felt like he'd have a hard time getting to sleep for some time.

"Would Friend like to play while he waits?"

"Friend play?"

"Can play with friend?"

Link considered the invitation for a moment. On one hand, he didn't want to tire himself out and have to sleep through part of the day. Then again, he would likely not have another chance to play with someone until he returned to the forest after this trip. Maybe it wouldn't hurt?

So finally, the skull kid nodded, earning cheers from the trio in front of him.

"Yay!"

"Come this way, this way!"

Link followed as the group of stallchildren hobbled off. Their skeletal joints, though magically animated, did not seem to give them the same speed that he had.

Hours began to whittle away as the group began to play. Hide and seek was not a possibility in the wide-open spaces. But tag seemed to be a favorite. Playing catch with rocks also seemed to amuse the stallchilderen. Even if they got hit and fell apart, their body would just reassemble itself a moment later, and it was back into the game.

What interested them more, however, was Link's flute, the odd shape in his pocket catching the attention of the lead stallchild.

"What is?" He asked, pointing to the shape.

"Oh, it's my flute," Link responded, reaching in to pull the object out.

"You can play music?"

When Link nodded, one of the other stallchildren called out, "Show us!"

So, link began to play, thoughtfully avoiding Saria's song among the tunes he picked out and made up, as something about it felt sacred and special to him, like it was a song he should only share in special cases. Before long, the group had broken into dance, three pale figures and one ashen one twisting and turning in the moonlight

Despite what he had thought would happen, the night seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Sure, he was a little drowsy at the end, but it had been worth it.

The larger stallchild was the first to notice the thin sliver of sunlight on the horrizon.

"Uh oh," he said.

Link turned his attention to the leader, then to the other two. They were all gazing to the sunrise now.

"Sun is coming."

"Time to go."

The trio began hobbling back to where they had first popped out of the ground, Link trailing after curiously.

"They are creatures of darkness, nocturnal," Navi explained as the first one reached its hole and began to disassemble. "They need to return to the soil by daybreak, both to conserve energy, and to protect themselves from travelers."

The bones began rolling back into the ground, first the legs and torso, then the head. The hands came last, pulling the dirt it had unearthed back over itself. The other two were doing similar. Before the sun could finally begin to rise above the horizon, the leader turned its head back to Link and gave a goodbye wave.

"Come back and play again sometime!" It called out. Then it too, was gone.

Link gave one last wave, then dropped his arms to his sides and found himself staring for a moment, until he heard a creaking behind him. The bridge was coming down; he remembered his quest.

Not wanting to waste another moment, he turned, and sprinted back towards the town gates.

* * *

The first thing he noticed about the town was that even in the early morning hours, it was already becoming busy.

Nervous about how the humans - especially the adults, after his time speaking with the stallchildren - would react to him, Link made his way around the edge of the town square through the shadows, taking care not to let anyone lock gazes with him. Images of being surrounded by big, scary humans with fire crossed his mind, and he shivered involuntarily. That was just about the worst thing that could happen. At least, he hoped it was.

He was almost all the way across the center square when he slipped up.

He glanced towards where he could see the castle in the distance, then back towards the square to make sure he was not being followed. His eyes locked with someone.

She was a young girl, short, only about as tall as he himself was. Her skin was tanned, likely the result of being out in the sun a lot. Her clothes were rather plain, wearing work boots and a white dress that was only decorated by the blue trim at the bottom and along the sleeves. The only other article of clothing she wore was a yellow handkerchief tied around her neck in a knot. Otherwise she wore no gems or accessories, like many of the girls and women in the square were. Her hair was a bright, flaming orange, contrasting her otherwise fairly light appearance.

She let out a tiny gasp when she noticed him from across the square, and he froze. For a moment, he closed his eyes, hoping that doing so would make him appear invisible or innocent. But it made him feel exposed, unable to see if anyone was advancing. When he opened his eyes again, she was still staring, but had made no movement otherwise. He carefully began to creep forward again. Still no movement. Finally, not wanting to risk it any longer, he took off down the side of the road, making a dash to get out of the town before anyone else noticed him.

It was not long before he'd left the bulk of the town behind him. Two dirt and stone walls lead him forward as the distant castle grew closer and closer. Every few minutes, he glanced back to see if someone had spotted him and sounded some sort of alarm. Fortunately, he managed to get through without trouble for some time.

Eventually, the dirt path opened up into a clearing. At the top of the far side, he suspected there was a field, and beyond the field, the castle stood starkly against the morning sky. As he began to stalk into the open area, he heard a great flapping from a singular tree in front of him. The owl from before was back. Though this time, it did not stick around, instead electing to take off with just a single warning.

"Be careful not to be spotted by the guards!" The bird hooted, before taking off back in the direction of the town.

Link adjusted the strap of his scabbard nervously. He knew little about human culture, but he supposed that it would make sense they would guard something as grand as a castle. Mido did the same with the Deku Tree, after all. Sort of.

The boy rounded the corner, and already came to his first obstacle. Instead of a freely accessible path, the road was blocked by a huge stone gate, two bored guards staring ahead.

He slipped back around the corner, then peeked around the side again. They hadn't seemed to notice him from here. But walking forward would certainly end in being turned away at best.

As he sat down with his back to the stone and dirt wall to consider his options, Navi poked out from under his hat and began to flutter about. She flew around the corner herself first, then back down the other way.

"Link, over here!"

Link glanced up and over in the direction of the fairy's voice. She had stopped in front of a spot on the wall, hovering in place. As Link approached to get a better look, he noticed there was thick vine growth, leading all the way to the top of the wall. He could climb from here.

He took a moment to adjust his equipment, then, taking a hand hold of the vines, began to scale the plants. Just like in the Deku Tree. Just like at home. It was almost second nature, finding handholds and sturdy footing.

As he pulled himself over the top, he could finally get a better look out in front of him. As he suspected, past the gate the path continued, and across from him, a field separated him from the castle, which was also surrounded by a gate.. A path started from the top of the gate that blocked the road as well - which acted as a bridge between the side he was currently standing on, and the field.

He began to slowly creep towards the gate, but as he drew close, he realized that a guard blocked the path there too. He would continue further, but the cliff he was on came to an end where the bridge met. Perhaps he would have a better chance if he waited until night. But… that was so far away. No, he would continue his attempt, even if he did stick out in daylight like a sore thumb.

He came to a stop at the edge of the bridge. If the guard had noticed him yet, he did not react. Link glanced down the side of the path and saw, disheartened, that several other guards lined the cliff, looking down into the path below. Maybe the bird was wrong. Maybe if he just walked over to the guard, they'd let him through? He supposed it was worth a shot.

Slowly, tentatively, he approached the adult man, keeping himself low to the ground and hoping he appeared non-threatening. The man finally seemed to take notice of him as he crept closer, and moved to an offensive stance, holding his weapon, a long spear, out in front of him.

"You, monster child, what do you think you're doing here?"

Link immediately froze in place.  _Monster child?_ He had certainly been called some mean things before by frightened or angry Kokiri, or even some of the other intelligent forest dwellers like the Deku. Creepy, or an imp, mostly. But even if he had been warned,  _monster_  was just plain insulting.

"I- I was just-" He stammered, taking a step back in time as the guard stepped forward. "From… from the forest, to see the princess?"

His explanation did not cut it. The guard jabbed his spear towards the child threateningly.

"You're not welcome here. Begone, before I am forced to remove you."

"But I-"

"Link,  _go._ " Navi hissed from behind him. He took one more step back, and then not wanting to be pushed off the bridge or worse, just turned and jumped himself, falling off the side and landing with a roll. Springing back to his feet, he scampered around the corner and out of sight.

Once out of view, he leaned back against the stone and dirt wall and sank to the ground, hands over his knees. "That went well," he mumbled.

"Do you think they might move when it gets dark? Or at least later in the day?" Navi asked. "I hate to wait for so long, but maybe when they change shifts, it would give us a chance to sneak by?"

Link gave the fairy a nod and sighed, closing his eyes. Waiting could be so  _boring_ though, and it was only just barely morning! Then again, he had not slept the night before. Maybe it would not be a bad idea to get some rest.

He dug into one of his pouches, pulling out the remainder of the berries he had brought with him. That's right, he was going to look for more food, wasn't he? He glanced back to the town. He had a little money, if the rupee things that he had collected over the years were as valuable as Saria had claimed. Surely some poor shop keep would take pity on him and sell him something to eat, even if he wasn't human like them?

With something to do for the time being, he stood and began the walk back to the town square.

Link was quiet as they made the trek back to town, head turned down slightly. Navi fluttered along behind silently, for a time. But eventually, she broke the silence, concern tinting her voice.

"Link… are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he murmured, shaking his head.

"Is this about the guard?" She asked.

No answer.

"Ah… I understand," She responded.

He slowed to a stop. Navi slowly landed on his shoulder. "I know it's awful, and awfully mean, but you do have to remember that the forest dwelling races don't leave very often, the only exception being the Deku Scrubs. They can't really be blamed for not knowing what you are."

"I guess…"

"Besides," she continued. "He's a guard. It's his job to turn people away." She paused for a moment, then nuzzled up against Link's cheek. "Now come on, let's find you some food. In fact, going into town may not be a bad idea. I'm sure there will be some people there at least that are more open-minded. Hylians aren't the only race in Hyrule, after all."

Link lifted his head, slightly cheered. With just a bit more pep in his step, he continued on back towards the town.

* * *

 The town square was even busier by the time they returned. Merchant stalls had set up along the edges, most gathering large crowds of people out doing their morning shopping. Others milled about, some chatting, others just hurrying around. One man in particular seemed to circle about the area carrying a large bag upon his back, but never really interacted with anyone.

Link felt just a bit overwhelmed. Even in its busiest times, the Kokiri Forest wasn't nearly this crowded. He moved about in a sort of daze, trying to look over each stall in hopes of finding one he could get food from that he would not have to push past droves of adults to reach. But each one just seemed busier than the last.

Someone bumped into the small boy. He stumbled. Whoever it was did not even seem to notice. Before he caught his footing, another almost trampled him; he only just barely managed to scamper out of the way.

With an anxious cry, he retreated to the edges of the square, choosing to just watch the madness. It was too much for the small boy to handle right now. Hoping that he could return later, and it would be emptier, he turned his attention to the buildings along the edges of the square.

One particularly gaudy place caught his eye, with walls painted greed, and red and gold fabric draped along the sides. A huge, equally gaudy sign adorned the building above the entrance. With curiosity gripping him, Link approached.

"Happy… mask… shop…" Navi read slowly, as if in disbelief. "Link, please don't waste any money here, please? We don't know how expensive food and other necessities will be."

Link shrugged, then moved to open the door, stepping into the fanciful building.

The inside was even more fancy and extravagant than it had been outside. An ornate carpet greeted Link's dirt-covered boots. Above him hung stained glass orbs, torchlight shining from inside. Like outside, the inner walls were also draped with fabric.

But the real stars were the masks.

Shelves, filled with dozens of masks, line the wall on either side of Link. One was of a green monster, a blue band painted along the eyes. Another was of a horrifying human face.

"May I help you?"

Link startled, turning his attention to the counter at the end of the way. There stood a man, still as a statue, adorned in robes of royal purple and gold.

The boy slowly approached the counter, tilting his head curiously at the man. "Hiyee!" He started in far too cheerful of a tone. "Welcome to the Happy Mask Shop! We deal in masks that bring happiness to everyone!"

"Everyone?" Link asked, awed.

"Everyone?" Navi echoed skeptically.

"That's right!" The man responded. " _Everyone!_ How would you like to be a happiness salesman?"

"Uh…"

"Allow me to explain. I'll lend you a mask. You sell the mask and bring the money back here.  
If you want to read the fine print, take a look at the sign right over there." He gestured to his right to a huge sign. "After you've sold all the masks, you will become happy yourself! Simple really, you see?"

"I mean-"

"Your masks will be filled with happiness, you just need to have faith… believe… believe…"

Link began to take a step back, feeling more than a bit creeped out. However, something caught the corner of his eye, and with a deep breath, he stepped forward again, hands on the counter.

"What if… What if I just wanted to purchase that one?" He pointed to the side of the man's head to a white mask, with carved holes and features similar to a skull. Not a human skull though, as it had horns that jutted out.

"Link, what did I just say outside," Navi protested.

"It's not for me," he countered. "It's for Skully. He loves masks! I know he'd just love that one."

"Ahem-" the salesman cut in. "I'm afraid I cannot sell you the mask. You see, these are for the business arrangement I mentioned. No, I cannot sell, it but I can lend it."

Link considered it for a moment. "Fine, fine, lend it to me."

"I can't do that either. First you have to sell this mask."

The man reached up to grab a different mask. This one was a bright yellow, with a brown nose, it's appearance similar to an animal. He placed the mask into Link's hands with a bit of force.

Link looked down to the mask in his hands, then to the salesman. Then to the skull mask. Back to the salesman. His grip on the mask tightened, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Link…"

Suddenly, he chucked the mask at the man's head with all the force he could muster. The man stumbled back from the surprising force of the blow and fell back, dazed.

Immediately, Link vaulted over the counter, jumping up to grab the skull mask.

"Link NO!" Navi called out.

He paused, looking at her, then paused only long enough to fish a couple of rupees - a blue and a green - and dropped them in the man's lap before vaulting back over and dashing out.

"See, I paid for it,  _technically not_  stealing!"

Navi let out a frustrated huff but followed behind anyways as he dashed out the door.

Once he had emerged out into the fresh air, Link took a moment to turn the mask over in his hands, admiring the handiwork.

Navi flew into his line of sight, buzzing close to his face. "Link," she started slowly, stressing her words out. "That was a horrible idea. Do not. Do. That. Again. Understand?"

The boy stared for a moment, then smiled and laughed, nodding. Despite his answer, Navi suspected he had not learned his lesson at all.

With a sigh, she turned her attention to the market stalls around them. They had begun to clear a little in the time Link had been gone. "Let's just hurry up and get you something to eat. And maybe a larger bag would be a good idea too… Huh?"

When she turned back to address him, Link was already gone. She whipped around, looking for any hint of ashy brown and green, finally spotting him all the way across the square.

He had stopped in front of a food stall, staring intently a bit of a ways away. Navi dashed over, bumping into him slightly to announce her presence.

"Hey!" she cried out in exasperation. "Don't just run off like that!  _Please!_ "

Link turned his head back to look at her, staring for a moment before raising an arm to point at the stand he was standing in front of. "I want some of that."

"That" happened to be a pastry stand, much of it already gone from the morning rush. But several items remained here and there.

Navi let out a sigh. She would have to give her lesson another time. "...Okay. Pick  _one._ "

"I want them  _all,_ " he responded.

" _Two._ No more. You need money for other things too, you know."

He finally conceded, sighing with a nod. "Fiiiiine."

Navi approached the stand first, Link following close behind. The woman behind the counter had her back turned, busy wrapping more of the pastries for sale, humming a little tune.

"Excuse me," Navi said, loud enough to catch the woman's attention.

"Yes," the woman started, turning. "How may I help yooouUUUUOH MY GODDESSES!"

Link blinked at the woman, tilting his head curiously. Was… was she okay?

"My… goodness," she started, calming herself and trying to relieve some of the shock to save the encounter. "Aren't you a… unique little one. I've never seen someone like you around here."

Navi flew forward to make her presence known, before landing on Link's head. "He's with me, he saw your display and just had to get something."

"Oh…" She started, eyes on the fairy. "Of… of course! What would you like, little one?"

Link considered, beginning to look over his choices.

"Remember," Navi pointed out. "Two."

After some moments of deliberation, Link pointed first to a rectangular treat, then second to one with fruit folded into it. "These two… Please?"

"Of course!" The woman responded, reaching for a paper to wrap them in. "That will be… seven rupees, please."

Link reached into his money pouch, looking at the rupees inside quizzically. "... Navi, how much is seven?"

"You can give her a blue and two green ones, Link."

"Isn't that three?"

"The blue one is worth five."

The boy nodded enthusiastically and fished for the change, pulling them out and placing them on the counter. The woman slowly and carefully handed him his pastries in return, eyes on his rough wooden hands.

The boy flashed a toothy grin, then turned to hurry off, Navi fluttering behind. "Thank you!" She called out to the woman before turning her attention to Link.

"Okay, how many rupees do you have in there? Next, a bag."

* * *

Even after all the time he spent in the village square, it was only barely after noon when the skull kid found himself wandering back towards the castle.

His new bag was filled with odd delicacies that the forest had never offered. Breads and pastries and all sorts of sweets, dried meats and loose grains all were wrapped up inside. He'd even managed to trade the small pouch he had been using to store slingshot ammo for a larger one. At least someone in this Castle Town place appreciated his slingshot skills!

But now, he still had several hours to pass. He took a seat down beside the vines he had climbed before. He and Navi agreed that jumping over the bridge and following the path during the changing of the guards would be the quickest and safest way to cross.

As he munched on a few of the fresh berries he'd exchanged the last of his rupees for, Navi came to settle on his knee. "I'm going to go scout ahead," she announced. "So I can find the best route into the castle and watch for when the guards change. Is that okay? Will you be alright for a little while?"

Link finished off the last of his fruit, and then nodded, pulling out a loaf of bread and tearing a small piece off. Satisfied, Navi took to the air again.

"Stay here, okay?" When he nodded again, she fluttered off, the quiet jingle of flight dying away as she left.

Once Link had ate his fill, he started to doze off for a while. But his sleep was fitful in the open area, nervous of someone sneaking up on him while he slept. So, after some time he sat back up and reached into his pocket for his flute, then, deciding against it, reached for the ocarina Saria had given him instead. It was the first time he was actually getting a good look at it, and as he slowly turned it over, he realized the fact that though he knew quite a bit about music in general, he had no idea how to play this particular instrument.

Slowly he brought the instrument up to his mouth, allowing his slender, wooden fingers to cover the holes, hoping he was correctly mimicking the way he had seen Saria hold hers. Not wanting to alert the guards, he blew a soft note into the instrument, playing a single, out of tune note.

Well, it was a start.

Blowing into the Ocarina was different from his flute. He had to position his mouth differently, and make sure he was properly covering each of the holes. Adjusting, he blew again, much more satisfied with the note that came out this time. He raised a single finger, comparing the sound. It was higher. Less fingers mostly meant higher.

He could not say for sure how long he spent picking notes at the ocarina, but finally, he had figured out enough to replay Saria's song. He slowly played the song, picking out the notes slowly, then faster as he memorized each note and finger placement, until finally, he could play the whole thing up to speed.

As he finally brought the instrument away from his mouth, he heard soft clapping to his side.

He immediately sprang to his feet and whipped around, raising one arm defensively while quickly stashing the ocarina away protectively, eliciting a gasp from his audience.

As he looked the person over, he realized that he recognized her. It was the girl that had spotted him that morning, that had locked eyes with him for some time, until he'd gathered the courage to leave.

The girl had taken a nervous couple steps back when he had hopped up so suddenly. But when she made no move to harm him, he relaxed, and she, in response, relaxed too. After a moment, she was smiling, hands clasped together.

"Wow, you're really good at music. Did you write that song?"

Link blinked once, his blue orbs flickering out and then back. "Oh, no, one of my friends made it up." He took a moment to fumble with and hastily stash the ocarina away, not wanting to risk the precious object becoming damaged.

The girl giggled, whether it be at his reaction or something else, he was unsure. But he couldn't help but smile sheepishly back. "Hee, hee, I've never seen anything like you before. What are you?"

His smile faltered just slightly. Not who,  _what._ Being referred to as a thing had not bothered him as much when the stallchildren had done so; surely, they had little interaction with others living in the earth like they seemed to. But the Kokiri always referred to him as a person. And he always assumed that humans would too. In fact, most of the adults had referred to him as a person, had they not?

But she was a child like him, he had to remind himself. Perhaps she did not know. Perhaps it had just been the slip of her tongue. Still, his mind drifted back to the way the guard from before had referred to him, as a monster child.

Forcing the thought out of his mind, he finally responded honestly. "I'm a skull kid, from the forest."

She giggled again, repeating the words a couple times to get a feel for them. "Skullkid… Skull kid... Hee hee, that's a silly word. Do you have a name, skull kid?"

"Link," he responded with a nod.

The girl tilted her head from side to side, considering his name, then clasped her hands together. "Link is a funny name, it fits you! My name is Malon! Do you know any other songs, forest boy?"

Link was not sure if he should be flattered or insulted, but he chose to take it as a compliment. It was better to have friends than enemies, right? His hand reached back to grab the fairy ocarina, but instead he shifted his hand to another pocket and pulled out his more familiar flute.

He took a second to adjust his fingers, and then began to play, fingers expertly flying up and down, a merry tune coming out. He swayed from side to side, keeping his music in time. Malon clapped along to the beat, occasionally letting out a laugh or a little cheer. For moment, he forgot where he was, closing his eyes to imagine himself back on the tree stumps in the Lost Woods, playing along with his best friend in the world. It had only been two and a half days now since they had played together that morning, but already, with so many things happening in such a short time, it felt so, so far away.

When his tune came to an end and he opened his eyes again though, he was not in the noisy green forest clearing, but the quiet road on the way to the castle.

Malon clapped. "That was so cool Link! Do you know anymore songs?"

Link nodded, but before he could raise the flute up to his mouth again, Navi flew down from above, urgency in her voice.

"The guards are about to change Link, we need to go now, or it may be a while before we get another chance!"

Link looked to the side to Malon. He was having fun… but this was more important. He nodded to Navi, stuffing his flute back into his pockets, and turned to climb the vines like he had before.

"Wait!" Malon cried out, reaching an arm out to grab his shoulder.

Link paused, looking back to the red-headed girl. She pulled her arm away then hesitated.

"Are you… going to the castle?" When Link nodded in confirmation, she continued. "In that case… could you… do me a favor and look for my dad? He went to the castle this morning for a delivery, but he hasn't come back yet, and I'm getting worried… His name is Talon. He's wearing a red shirt and blue overalls - do you know what those are? Anyways, he's reaaaallllly big." She stretched her arms out wide.

Link considered it for a moment. Well… he was going to the castle anyways, he supposed. He nodded to the girl again. She started to say something, but Navi's voice cut in. "Come on Link, hurry, we won't have much time!"

With no time to spare, Link waved a final goodbye before he turned his focus back to the climb, scrambling up just as he had earlier.


	7. Castle Crawl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Link meets the Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in posting. Unfortunately, new chapters will likely be every other week, possibly monthly depending on how much time I have, as college is starting back up. This is also going to affect illustrations. As much as I'd love to continue making them, I don't have time to write and illustrate. Maybe I'll get to go back and do them later. Still,I'm determined to see this story through to the end though, so please, enjoy and look forward to the coming chapters!

This time, Link and Navi were careful as they began their new attempt to enter the castle. The hardest guard to pass would be the first one on the bridge. Once they were down on the path on the other side, sneaking would be as easy as keeping to the shadows.

From the cliffside, Link crept forward, keeping as far back and out of sight as possible. The grass was cut short, leaving few spots to hide in, likely for the express purpose of keeping people from being able to sneak by. The guard from before was staring straight forward across the bridge, but in the distance, another one approached.

Link awaited his opportunity. As soon as the other guard arrived tapping the shoulder of the first one to catch his attention, Link made his attempt, dashing forward and jumping over the side at the edge of the bridge. Immediately, he zipped to the edge of the sheer dirt and rock wall, pressing close against the edge where the guards would find it hard to see.

He slid along that edge for some time, following the path that Navi instructed him. But soon, the wall began to shrink and shorten; he could hear a guard just above him tapping their feet. He froze. Up ahead around a slow curve, another guard stood in the middle of the path.

Navi fluttered back to hover in front of Link. "Stay still and watch for an opening," she murmured before flying back the way they had come. For several minutes, all Link heard was the sound of his own heavy breathing. Then finally, he heard the tell-tale sound of fairy flight up ahead. Carefully, he poked the top of his head around the corner to get a better look.

Navi was flying at the guard's eye level nearby, circling back every few seconds. Several tense minutes passed before the guard finally acknowledged her.

"Are you looking for the Fairy Fountain? I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to access it right now. Part of the wall collapsed over the entrance last week, and it will be some time before the guard can clear its entrance."

Navi flew closer, shaking her head. "No, I've been separated from my traveling companion. Have you seen any children around here recently?"

The guard turned his head so that he could look at her directly. Link, seeing the only opening he would likely get, zipped by to the side, hanging close to the wall. Beyond this guard, another set of guards blocked the path ahead, but they had yet to notice him. In the field, however, security seemed sparse up until the castle gates.

"No," the man finally said, turning to point back towards the gates. "This area is restricted to people on official business only, you would do better to search back towards the town."

Navi fluttered back and forth nervously. "Oh, okay… I do hope he's alright…" Leaving with those words, she flew away towards the gate until she was sure she was out of sight, before zipping back by high overhead.

While she had been busy making a distraction, Link had managed to scamper up into a nearby tree, blending in and attempting to get a better look at his surroundings. Surprisingly, he saw no guards off the path, only those blockading the path and gates.

Navi landed on his shoulder, speaking in a hushed whisper. "There's another vine wall you can climb over to the left. That will get you past the gates, at least, but the drawbridge is up. I didn't have time to search for another way in."

Link nodded in acknowledgement. It was a start, at least. Taking one last look around the field to make sure no more guards were watching, he quietly slid down from his perch, then made a made a mad dash for the far side of the field, scrambling up the vines like his life depended on it.

As soon as he reached the top, he flopped over to the side, taking a moment to catch his breath. For a moment, he listened for the sound of angry guards giving chase. But he could hea nothing but the sound of his own breathing and the rustling of foliage in the wind. Finally, after what felt like forever but was probably only a few minutes, he crawled to the far edge of the ledge he was on, checking the drop off for trouble. From what he could tell, the only guard was the one at the top of the stairwell at the entrance to the castle gates, which he had already managed to slip behind.

He began to slide down the side to the dirt and stone path beyond. As his feet skidded on the near vertical surface, a few loose rocks fell to the ground, clattering below. He landed with baited breath and turned his head to the side. The guard lifted his head, turning it to the left and right.

"Is someone there?"

Link froze, immediately pressed up against the wall, and closed his eyes, not even daring to breathe. He heard footsteps and the clanking of armor as the guard turned, moving closer and closer… the boy's hand cautiously slipped into his pocket...

"Hey!"

At the one word, Link's eyes snapped open to see the armored man charging towards him from the stairwell. With almost no time to react, he whipped his hand out of his pocket, tossing one of his purchased deku nuts to the ground. It snapped, flashing a bright burst of light. Without giving the guard a chance to recover from the flash, he sped off, shoving past the man.

By the time the guard had recovered, he had already run down half the length of the castle walls. Ignoring the shouts calling for him to stop and for help to chase him down, he ran as fast as his scrawny legs would allow. As soon as he had reached the end, he skidded, turning to the left as quickly as possible, almost falling over in his sharp turn.

He was quickly running out of space. Up in front was a dead end, a doorway at the end. In front of it, several boxes of goods and… a sleeping man?

The man sprawled out on the stone walkway reminded him much of the description Malon had given him before. But he had no time to think about that; the guard would round that corner any minute, and he'd be forced to surrender or fight.

Before he could stop and decide, however, Navi darted out from his side. "Link, Look! There's a hole in the castle wall where the water is running out! It's a bit of a gap, but if you take a running start, maybe you can make it!"

The skull kid nodded, watching as Navi darted to point the spot out. … The man was sleeping almost directly in front of it. He could hear more yelling from behind. He only had one shot at this.

Deviating from his path slightly, he made an angle towards the gate almost directly in front of where the man was sleeping. As soon as he reached it, he spun, pushing off with one hand and a foot, and made a dash directly for who he suspected was Malon's sleeping father. Gathering every bit of strength he could muster, he sprang forward, one foot landing hard on the man's side, and sprang off of it, reaching out desperately to grab hold of the wooden planks on either side of the running water.

For a moment, he hung in the air, fingers just barely gripping hold of the wooden grain. His feet skidded on the slick stone walls. Behind him, he heard the man hiss in pain and sit up. Mustering the last of his strength, he pulled as hard as he could, and scrambled up and inside.

Despite how small the hole was, he had to stop inside for a moment to catch his breath, hoping he was no longer visible from the outside. The footsteps of several guards arriving outside sounded, slowing to a stop.

"What in tarnation is going on here?" One voice asked.

"Mister Talon? Why are you still here?" Another asked.

"That's not important," a third one said. "Have you seen a monster come through here? It was an ashy grey brown and wearing dirty green clothes."

The first voice grumbled for a moment. "Can't say that I did, as far as I can remember. But I reckon something fell on me or something a minute ago, m' side's hurtin something awful all of a sudden."

"The monster must have attacked him trying to find somewhere to hide. But where?"

Link sucked in a breath and held it. Navi pushed herself back inside his hat, only just barely poking out. "Keep moving," she hissed. "Before they figure it out!

The thought of being caught by the angry guardsmen was enough for Link to get going. He heard them continue talking, but their words faded as he moved further and further inside.

It felt like he crawled through the hole forever. Once he was further in, he rested again for a moment, but not for long. The damp little tunnel was no place for a wooden child; he quickly got on the move again.

Finally, he could see light at the other end. Navi popped out and flew ahead as he crawled, coming back a moment later to give him the okay to rush on ahead. As soon as he reached the end of the tunnel, he sprang to his feel, glad to finally be out of the water.

He found himself standing in a shallow pool of water that came up just a small bit above his ankles, a small waterfall splashing down from his right. Not wanting to be in the water any longer than he had to, he splashed over to the edge and stepped out, squeezing water out of the damp front edge of his tunic.

He was in a secluded corner of the castle, it seemed. A few barrels were stacked in front of him and to the side, and some mysterious door was to his right. Part of him wanted to open it and go running through the castle halls! But… that felt like it was probably a terrible, terrible idea.

Ahead, he could see a hedge beyond the partial wall in front of him. It seemed as good of a place as any to start his search for the princess. Satisfied with how much water he'd managed to get out of his tunic, he began to creep forward.

The bush was cut in an unnatural shape, perfectly rectangular. The perfect, unnatural hedge made him feel uneasy compared to the natural wilderness of the forest; he took a moment to rub his arm. Still, at least it provided cover. Cover that he desperately needed. He could hear footsteps not far in front of him.

Carefully, he peeked around the corner. The guard was further down the path, back turned as he slowly strolled down the path along a second hedge. His pace slowed to a stop at the corner, and he looked left, right, and backwards before turning and hurrying around the corner.

With no other guards in sight, Link rushed forward, skidding to a stop right in front of a third hedge, and looked around the corner again. This time, two guards patrolled around two large stone fountains. Link darted past these, too.

Now he found himself in a predicament. Another guard ahead strode around a large, wooden structure with vines growing up and around it, leaving nowhere to take cover from the man's sight. Nowhere except up, at least. He approached one post in a side, tightly wrapped his hands around the post and began to pull himself up. This was much, much harder than scaling a tree; trees typically had a rough texture that he could use to support himself. This, on the other hand, was sanded and smooth. Once again, he found himself wishing he had been able to master the warping magic of his kind often used.

As the man turned his direction, he finally got hold of the top, scrambling up with a grunt. The man started to inch closer, swearing something under his breath. No time to lose, Link scrambled along the beam overhead, hoping he was being quiet enough and that he blended in enough with the wood and plants to slip by unnoticed.

"Is someone there?" The man asked, both hands gripping his weapon. Link didn't answer, freezing. The man began to loop around to the backside where he had climbed up. No time left, Link jumped down as soon as the man's back was turned and dashed ahead.

There was no time left to sneak; He dashed around past a large statue, past the next hedge, and pushed himself into the bushes in the middle. The man came around the same way, and Link found himself squeezing his eyes shut, holding a breath. The guard walked by once, twice, a third time, before finally giving up and returning to his post. "Dumb animals," he mumbled, shaking his head. "They got to do something about these damn squirrels."

Link finally let out his breath, sighing in relief. Slowly, he pulled himself out of the bushes, then hurried along up the path. There were no guards in this last portion, fortunately.

After a moment of walking, the path opened into a small courtyard, decorated with bushes and flowers, and with a small stream wrapping around the sides. At the far end, a regally dressed child stood, back turned.

Link began to inch his way forward, crouched slightly. Before he could reach the child, however, his eyes were caught by something glimmering in the sunlight. He turned, finding himself facing a window.

He glanced to the window in front of him, then to the handle of his slingshot sticking out of his pockets. It's times like these that Link had to stop, to dig down deep inside himself and think.

What would Skull Kid do?

Slowly, his hand reached down into his pocket, emerging with the slingshot and a single deku seed. He placed the ammo and slowly lifted the small weapon. Navi, sensing they had stopped moving, popped out from under Link's hat.

"Link what are you-" Navi started in a quiet, hissing voice. Then she realized. "Oh no, Link no, no, no, you're going to get yourself caught!"

But Link wasn't listening, he pulled the slingshot back and released. There was a crash, the shattering of glass, and Link let out a mischievous little cackle.

Navi sighed in defeat. Skull kids. Always getting into trouble.

The boy's mischievous laugh cut off when he heard a startled cry. Slowly, Link raised his head and jumped back in surprise when he saw the girl from before staring at him. His eyes darted to the slingshot in his hands, and he quickly attempted to hide the incriminating evidence behind his back.

For several minutes, the two stared at each other in a tense silence. But finally, the girl broke the silence, bringing her hand up towards her chest, taking a step back.

"Who Are you?" The girl demanded. "How did you get past the guards?"

The girl's dress was a combination of pure white and royal purple. Her hair was covered by a hat of the same colors, adorned with a golden emblem.

Navi zipped out in front of Link, a nervous jingle following behind. "No, please wait before you call anyone, we can explain!"

Suddenly, it was like something clicked with the girl, her eyes lighting up in recognition. "Wait, is that… are you a fairy? I mean… of course you are, so that must mean… are you two from the forest?"

Navi was quiet for a moment, processing the sudden change. But finally, she bobbed up and down in the air in confirmation.

The girls mouth twisted into a smile, eyes lighting up as her stance relaxed. "Then… You wouldn't happen to have the Spiritual Stone of the forest, would you?"

Link hesitated for a moment, looking to Navi for guidance. The fairy looked to him and gave him a small nod. With her go ahead, he eagerly reached his hands into a pouch around his belt, fingers wrapping around the beautiful emerald the Deku Tree had entrusted him with, and carefully pulled it out to present to the girl.

Her smile broadened. Clasping her hands together in front of her face, her eyes squinted. "Just as I thought!" But then then her smile faltered, her hands falling to her side. Link tilted his head. Did all humans change demeanor this quickly?

"I had a dream…" she started. "In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule… But then, suddenly a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds, and lit up the ground… And then, the light turns into a figure holding a green shining stone – just like this one." She paused to gesture to the emerald in Link's hands. "And they're followed by a fairy."

She raised a hand up to her face, tilting it upwards slightly, eyes raising up to the sky in thought. "I knew this had to be a prophecy that someone would come from the forest… So… when I saw your fairy, I thought you might be the one."

Link blinked, not quite following. He returned the Kokiri Emerald back to its place in his bag.

Suddenly, the girl's face lit up in surprise. "Oh! I got so carried away with my story, I didn't even properly introduce myself! I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. What is your name?"

Finally, Link perked, recognizing the title. "Link," he answered quietly.

"And I'm Navi," the fairy cut in. "We were sent by the Deku Tree to find you. There are… an evil man cursed the Deku Tree, the spirit of the forest, all for the stone. He… the Great Deku Tree, he passed on."

The princess's smile faltered. "I'm… I'm sorry to hear that." Her gaze shifted to the side, before she quickly jumped subjects. "Can… can I tell you a secret? It's a secret of the royal family. So if I tell you, you can't tell anyone!" Zelda scrunched her face up and held up a fist in a very 'unprincess-like' manner, leaving Link with nothing to do but quickly nod in agreement.

The girl smiled, and took a seat on the stone path, legs to the side, then patted the ground beside her, an invitation that Link gratefully accepted.

"They say the three goddesses hid the Triforce containing the power of the gods somewhere in Hyrule," Zelda began with a deep breath. "The power to grant the wish of the one who holds the Triforce in his hands. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity..."

The girl's gaze shifted to the side, looking back at something unseen through the window behind her. "However, if someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil... So, the ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce from evil ones. Does that all make sense?"

Link stared blankly for a moment, before finally shrugging. "I don't know anything about any temples or sages, or much about this Triforce thing. I don't really know anything outside of what I've seen in the forest. Until just a couple days ago, the only things I was worried about was food and having fun with my best friend."

Zelda sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry, I don't really know much about the culture of the forest, so perhaps I am the one assuming too much." A pause, while she tilted her head. "Maybe I can at least explain why that stone you have is important.

"The Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from

our world. But the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time. It makes it sound pretty safe, but obviously there has to be some way to open the door, right? And the way to do so, to open the door, it is said that you need to collect three Spiritual Stones. Like that one you brought, that's one of them." She turned her gaze to the bag holding the beautiful emerald.

"There is one other thing that you would need... A treasure that the Royal Family keeps along with this legend. Does that make a little more sense?"

Link nodded slowly with a blank expression. He still did not completely understand. But he understood the important parts. There was something very powerful out there, something that someone evil was trying to get their hands on. And in his satchel was one of the things that evil needed.

The princess seemed to perk up at his affirmation. "That's Great! Now, about what you were saying earlier. Let me explain what I was doing before your… um… interruption. I was spying through this window, you see. Do you remember the dream I was telling you about? The other element in my dreams, the dark clouds, I believe they symbolize that man in there."

Zelda gestured to the window, and Link took the invitation to stand up and step forward, standing on his tip toes to get a good look. Several guards lined the far wall of the room through the glass, and he had a feeling that they were on his side too, out of sight. But the guards were not the point of interest. Another man came into view, a man that was a stark contrast in appearance. His skin was a dark brown, and his armor an even darker shade. His hair was a brilliant, flaming orange, contrasting the blacks and browns and dark golds of the rest of him. A single, vibrant gemstone adorned his forehead, although other smaller gems also were placed at certain parts of his armor.

"That is Ganondorf," Zelda whispered to his side. "He is the leader of the Gerudo. They hail from a desert far to the west of Hyrule. He says he swears allegiance to my father, but I do not think he is sincere."

"What makes you so certain?" Link retorted quietly.

"… I don't know," Zelda admitted. "I really am sure that he represents the dark clouds in my dream, and the way he speaks, the way he is always prying for information, it makes me suspicious. But I cannot prove it."

Link gave a small nod, keeping a careful eye on the way the man walked and moved. Suddenly, the man's head turned, and Link found himself frozen in place, eyes locked with the mysterious man. It took him several seconds to rip his gaze away, but for some reason, he felt more vulnerable than he ever had before.

He took several steps back, out of sight of the window. He had been seen by that man. He had to leave he needed to get out before –

"What's wrong?" Zelda's words cut through his stream of thought. "Did he see you?" It took Link everything he had at the moment to calm down and nod his head. Fortunately, Zelda had an answer. "Don't worry, he doesn't have any idea what we're planning… yet."

Link nodded at first, but when he stopped to consider Zelda's words, he startled, taking a step back and tilting his head. They are…planning something?

Zelda sensed his confusion and hesitance. "You will help me, right?" When Link did not quickly respond, she clasped her hands together, desperation in her voice. "When I told my dad about my dream, he didn't believe it was a prophecy. But… but I can sense that man's evil intentions!" She lowered her gaze, voice softening. "What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm... He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it, to conquer Hyrule… No, to conquer the whole world!"

She turned her gaze back to Link. "That's why I need your help. I cannot leave to gather the Sacred Stones. But you could! And I can protect the royal treasure at the same time. Once you have all three, we could get the Triforce for ourselves and defeat Ganondorf! You will help me, won't you?".

Link hesitated. When the Deku Tree had sent him on this journey, he had expected to deliver the stone and be done with it, returning home to go back to playing with Skull Kid and Saria like nothing happened. But now, he was finding himself thrust into a new, difficult choice. A choice that would send him who knows where on his journey.

"I will follow whatever choice you make, Link," Navi mumbled to the child, fluttering close before speaking louder towards Zelda. "Please, consider what you are asking of Link, though. Link is a skull kid, a type of forest spirit. His body is specialized for forest life. You're asking him to venture into a world unknown to him, around people and places hostile to forest spirits."

"I understand your hesitance," Zelda admitted, head low and hands to her side. "But… I have no one else to turn to. My own father does not believe me, and the guard will follow his order. I know that it's scary, but please consider. If that evil man is not stopped, then the whole world will be in peril. You even said before that he is responsible for the great forest spirit's death. If he isn't stopped, your home will be in danger!"

Link let out a quiet sigh, lowering his head. She had a point… what choice did he have, really? He thought to Saria and Skull Kid, and the danger they would be in if the forest was invaded. Skull Kid could hold his own in a fight; he'd seen that first hand. But the other skull kids, the kokiri… If this was something that could happen, that could be prevented or at least stopped, and he did nothing to stop it… He'd never be able to forgive himself.

Link finally nodded. "I'm In."

Zelda smiled, and clapped her hands together. "Excellent! We can get started right away. My attendant knows where the first stone is, I'll have her give you directions."

"Attendant? Where…" Link looked up and let out a gasp when he noticed the woman standing nearby. She had not been there before, had she? He quickly stood up, feeling far too vulnerable sitting on the ground near the strange adult.

The woman stood proud with arms crossed. Her clothing was black and dark blue, with bits of grey and silver. Her hair was a similar silver color. Her eyes glanced towards the window Link had broken, one brow raised, then back to Link. Link gave a toothy, sheepish grin.

"I, uh…"

The woman held up a hand to silence Link. "Do not worry about it for now, child. There are more important matters to discuss."

Link started to open his mouth again, but thought better of it, nodding and putting on the most serious look he could muster.

The woman's lips curled back into the beginning of a smile. "I am Impa of the Sheikahs," she began with a small bow. "I am responsible for protecting Princess Zelda. Everything is exactly as the Princess foretold. You are a courageous young skull kid - venturing out of the forest only to head out on another big adventure."

"What is a skull kid anyways, Impa?"

Link glanced back towards Zelda, who had stood now, and was holding a paper in her hands. Impa closed her eyes.

"That is a discussion for another time. You will learn more about them someday, Zelda; You will have to, if you wish to keep Hyrule whole and unified. But for now, do not worry about it." She nodded to the paper. "I believe you have something you needed to finish for your friend, anyways.

Zelda nodded, then went back to the paper in her hands, finishing writing something with a quill. She then folded it and held it out for Link. "This is a letter from me, I'm sure it will be helpful to you - there are some areas that guards would not let you pass otherwise."

Link looked over the fancy paper and elegant handwriting. It was far better than anything he could do… In fact, he did not understand a word of it. The temptation to eat the nice-looking paper was very,  _very_ strong. But Navi clearing her throat snapped him back to reality. He quickly stuffed the letter away.

Satisfied, Impa gave the children a nod, then continued her speech to Link. "I, too, had a role in the Princess's dream: to teach a melody to the one who came from the forest." Link held a finger up to point at his chest. The woman nodded again. "Listen carefully, the song I am about to teach you is an ancient melody passed down by the Royal Family." She held a hand up to her chest. "I have played this song for Princess Zelda as a lullaby ever since she was a baby… There is mysterious power in these notes."

The woman held fingers up to her mouth and began to whistle a simple, three note melody. Link considered reaching for his flute, but instead went for the fairy ocarina instead. He gave it a couple experimental blows, picking out notes, then slowly repeated the three notes Impa had sang, repeating it a few times until he had it down.

As soon as he appeared to have the three down, the woman continued with a few more notes, completing the melody. For good measure, she repeated the entire song. Link fumbled with the holes, placing slender wooden fingers over them as he carefully picked out the remaining notes and played them over, until satisfied.

When he finished, he found both Zelda and Impa clapping for him.

"Wow, you learned that so fast!" Zelda exclaimed, laughing. "You must be a natural musician."

Link sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "One of my friends taught me the flute. We play together a lot. Another recently gave me this ocarina. They play different, but the concepts are the same."

Zelda looked ready to say more, but a commotion in the castle distracted her.

"You're sure you saw something in the courtyard?" One voice said

"Not completely… but there's a chance that I did." Another responded.

"With that thing Charles saw outside, it's worth investigating. What if it got into the castle? The royal family could be in danger!"

"Hey, look over here, this window has been busted!"

Impa turned her attention to Link and offered out a hand. "If the castle soldiers find you, there will be trouble. Let me lead you out of the castle."

Link looked to the woman's hand skeptically. But he took a deep breath and accepted it. As untrustworthy as adults were in his eyes, he was quickly realizing that he would have to make compromises on his journey.

The woman gave him a warm smile; Link blinked once, and gave a wide, nervous, toothy grin in response. But before he could say anything, Impa's face once again became cold and stony, and he found himself being almost dragged as she took off and a brisk pace.

They were somewhere beneath the castle.

Impa had led him at first back the way they had come but had pulled him into an inconspicuous door along the way, into an old, dank room with a trap door that led down. She'd struck a match and lit a torch and, taking great care to keep it away from the skull kid, had led him to a second door, hidden in the walls of the cellar they'd found themselves in.

For some time, he'd been led along in silence, taking so many twists and turns that he was quite certain that he would never be able to find his way back through if he wanted. He had no clue how Impa could even make sense of where they were going. More than once, they had stopped at a branching path briefly, only for her to take a route with certainty.

Navi flew along behind, offering little more in the way of light alongside the torch. Still, to her, the silence was like agony. She was the first to break it. She flew forward to fly beside Impa's head.

"So," She started. "You are Zelda's guardian, or caretaker of sorts?"

"You could call me a nanny," Impa responded simply. "But guardian or attendant would be more proper terms. It's my job to keep her safe and give her guidance. I suppose I could say the same of you?"

Navi jingled in the darkness. "I suppose. My duty is to help Link and see him through his journey safe."

The corner of the woman's mouth twitched. "I find it strange though. Everything I have read and experienced suggest that only Kokiri receive a guardian fairy. Yet here you are, guiding a skull kid."

"He's adopted," Navi joked.

Apparently, there was something funny about the response that Link did not understand, because he could only tilt his head when Impa leaned her head back and let out a hearty laugh.

"Fairy, I do not know your name, but it is good to see you can have a sense of humor in these trying times."

"It's Navi. And thank you. Though to be honest, it is not entirely a joke. The Great Deku Tree's final request to me was to help Link."

The woman chuckled one more time, but when she spoke again, her voice had become sober. "And what of when the journey is finished? What will you do then?"

Navi was silent for a moment. "Well, I suppose we will return to the forest. No, I know we will. Link has friends to return to. Right Link?

The two turned back, and Link, tuning back in once he heard his name, nodded enthusiastically.

The group was quiet again for a while, until the path they were following came to an end. Impa paused at the edge, feeling her hand around for something. Her hand gripped hold of a handle before she pushed with a shoulder.

Slowly, the wall seemed to give way, sunlight seeping through. Link pushed ahead, excited to be out of the cramped stone tunnels, and found himself back outside in the field outside the castle. Impa put out the torch and followed behind. Navi came out last, fluttering over to Link and nestling in his cap.

Impa took hold of his hand once more, leading him back towards the town and back through back alleys, keeping a tight grip to make sure he did not cause any more mischief than he already had.

The sun was starting to set by the time they reached Castle Town's outer gates. Only once they were across the bridge did Impa let the boy's hand go.

Link could not say why exactly, but he had never felt so relieved to be on grass again. Almost a whole day, gone already. And yet it sounded like it would be the first of many exhausting days on the road now.

"You are a brave lad," Impa spoke up, turning Link's attention away from the ground below. "We must protect this land. You, Navi, myself and Zelda."

She raised a hand and pointed it to her left. Link followed it, finding a huge mountain in that direction, the top stretching up into the clouds.

"Take a good look at that mountain. That is Death Mountain, home of the Gorons. They hold the Spiritual Stone of Fire."

Link couldn't help but gulp at the thought of a fiery spiritual stone. Suddenly, this quest was sounding just a bit more daunting. Just a bit.

Link's finger lowered pointing towards a path ahead of them. "At the foot of Death Mountain, you will find my village, Kakariko. That is where I was born and raised." A thin smile set into her lips. "You should talk to some of the villagers there before you go up Death Mountain. Although you are not human like them, Kakariko is known to be far more accepting than their Castle Town counterparts. You should have no trouble, so long as you behave."

Link nodded slowly, though, if he was honest, he doubted it would be as easy as she made it seem.

"Remember the song I taught you. It is a special song that only those with close ties to the royal family are allowed to learn. It will prove your connection to them."

She took a single step back. "You should be able to reach Kakariko Villiage by not long after nightfall. Remember, we are all counting on you."

There was a snap, and a flash. Link yelped and tried to shield his eyes from the bright light. By the time he was able to see again, the shekiah was gone.

Link stood silently for a moment, processing the new information. After what felt like some time, though, he finally adjusted his belt, and began the walk down the path. His first journey may have ended, but now, a new, even more daunting task had begun.


	8. Heart Pounding Grave Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the hero reaches a village.

The walk across Hyrule Field towards Kakariko Village was not nearly as long as one would think; the sky had only begun to tinge orange by the time that Link reached the path up. The narrow path upwards, however slowed his progress, walking along winding dirt paths and climbing up stone ramps and stairways.

Despite Navi’s suggestions to keep their sound low, lest they attract the attention of unwelcome company or some dangerous beast, Link had taken to playing music along the way, cheerful little tunes on his flute that attempted to his spirits in spite of the task ahead of him. But as the path seemed to continue for far too long, his mind wandered back to his conversation with the princess as one of his songs drew to a close. His fingers faltered, and his stride slowed to a stop.

Navi, who had been following a short distance behind, fluttered in front of Link and hovered in place.

“Is everything okay?” The fairy asked. “Do you need sleep? We can find some place quiet to rest once we get to the village.”

Link shook his head. “No, I’m fine. It’s just…” He turned his head away.

“You’re worried about what you’ve agreed to, aren’t you?”

A moment of hesitation, then he nodded. “I don’t know anything about what might be ahead! Death Mountan sounds… deadly. I don’t know what a goron is. What if they’re not friendly? What if I get hurt? What if… What if I can’t keep my promise to Skully? What did I get myself into?”

Navi paused for a moment. “You’re right,” she responded curtly. “It’s not fair. Neither you nor Zelda should be having to do something like this; it’s an adult’s responsibility. But… What do you do when adults are refusing to do anything?”

The boy sighed and nodded again. “But I made a promise to Zelda too, I can’t just quit and go home… I don’t know what to do!” He threw his hands up in the air, letting out a cry of frustration before plopping down on the side of the road, arms crossed, and shoulders hunched.

Navi was quiet for a moment, turning to look back towards the way they had come for just a moment. Slowly, she fluttered down to land on one of Link’s hands. He looked up.

“Hey,” she suggested quietly. “What if… Why don’t we contact Saria and talk to her? Maybe she could have some advice for you. Even if she doesn’t, maybe it will make you feel better at least?”

Link considered the suggestion. On one hand, Saria always seemed to have good advice. On the other… talking to her might just make him feel more homesick than he already was. He reached into his pocket to swap his flute for the Fairy Ocarina. Wooden fingers rubbed over the surface, admiring the smooth handiwork.

Slowly, curiosity and worry for his friends got the better of him. Link brought the ocarina up to his mouth, began to blow the notes to Saria’s song, getting the notes right after a couple attempts. He closed his eyes, and let his mind focus on the Kokiri girl, imagining that he was sitting beside her back in the Sacred Grove. He played the song once, twice, three times for good measure. Then he finally brought the instrument down from his mouth, and without opening his mouth, let out one hesitant word.

“Hello?”

For a moment, there was nothing. Then suddenly, a voice echoed in the back of his head loud and clear.

“Link?”

“Saria?” He asked out loud. “Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” the familiar voice responded. There was a pause. “Yes, I’m talking to Link.” Another pause. “Here, put your hand on the ocarina and keep it there, that’s how we can communicate.”

Link opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when a third voice cut in.

“Like this?” Skull Kid’s voice rang in his head. “I don’t hear nothin. Are you sure this works?”

“Skull Kid!”

Link heard a yelp that was cut short, followed shortly by Saria’s laughter. “It’s okay Skull Kid, the magic works by speaking directly into your head.”

More silence. Navi fluttered down curiously to rest on the ocarina too. Skull Kid was the next to speak. “It’s about time you checked in. How’s it going. Did you find the princess yet?”

“Well, yeah-”

“Awesome! How did it go? Will you be back soon?”

“About that…“

“Is everything okay? Did something go wrong?” Saria cut in.

“It’s kind of a long story,” Navi responded. “But the long story short is that the princess asked Link to go get the other spiritual stones. So… it might be awhile before we can come back.”

“...I see…” Skull Kid’s voice came out in monotone.

“I had to agree. Someone has to do it. I mean, yeah it shouldn’t really be my job-”

“That’s right, so you should just come home so we can hang out again,” Skull Kid cut in again. “You shouldn’t be held responsible for something that adults won’t take care of!”

Link was silent for several minutes, only finally responding when Saria gave a worried “...Link? Are you still there?”

“I want to come back…” He started in an almost silent whisper. “But… I don’t think I can. Not until I’m done. Because if I don’t do this, we’ll all be in danger, won’t we?”

“I wish I had a better Answer for you…” Saria responded. “But I don’t really know much outside of the forest, other than things that I’ve been told by others. But… I think you need to follow your heart. If you think it is something you need to do, _do it._ What do you think, Skull Kid?”

Skull Kid was silent for a long time, long enough that Link was worried he might have stormed off again like before. But finally, he heard the boy sigh. “I guess you’re right. Just… hurry back okay? You have no idea how boring it is hanging out with Saria all day waiting to hear from you. She wouldn’t let me put spiders in Mido’s soup, even though they are absolutely delicious!”

“Not everyone enjoys a spider sandwich, Skull Kid,” Saria’s voice responded. Link laughed in response.

“So where are you right now?” Skull Kid asked.

“We’re on our way to this place Death Mountain to meet with the gorons,” Navi responded.

“Oh, they’re very friendly most of the time,” Skull Kid interjected before mumbling afterwards, “Maybe a little too friendly…”

“Skully, you know something about gorons?” Link asked.

“Oh!” Skull Kid responded a little too quickly. “Oh, you know. More people then Hylians pass through the woods. I’ve seen a goron or two before.”

Link nodded, accepting the explanation. “Okay.”

“Link, it’s getting late. We should keep walking, even if you talk while we go. We don’t want to get locked outside again.”

“Oh, that wasn’t so bad,” Link responded, though he still nodded and pushed himself back to his feet, keeping one hand on the ocarina. He began to walk once again.

“So, what was the castle like? And the town. You gotta tell us everything!”

Link laughed, surprised by his friend’s interest. “Well, where do I begin…”

* * *

The sun had only just dipped below the horizon by the time Link reached the quaint little town. A bright, nearly full moon filtered behind storm clouds beginning to roll in, illuminating the rooftops of several houses of varying sizes. Light from inside the buildings poured out onto the grassy common areas. The village seemed mostly devoid of life outside, save for one emaciated man resting under a tree past the village gates

Link had ended his conversation with Saria and Skull Kid some time ago, choosing to make the last of his trip in silence, only the sound of wildlife, his footsteps, and the jingling of Navi following behind.

The skull kid carefully approached the gates, taking refuge in their shadows as he cautiously eyed the villager. Navi fluttered to a rest on his shoulder.

“Hey,” she urged quietly. “We should ask for directions, don’t you think?”

Link’s gaze shifted to the fairy for a moment, then returned to the man. He shook his head.

“Let’s just… sneak by and find it ourselves. What if he doesn’t like-“ He cut himself off uncertain about the using the word that popped up in his head. “…me.”

“Nonsense!” The fairy replied with a jingle, lifting up from his shoulder. “It will be fine. Here, come on, I’ll even ask for you!”

Without a second thought, the fairy took off, making a beeline for the man. Link shot a hand out to try and stop her, but it stretched into empty air. As he heard her begin to speak though, he finally slowly, ever so hesitantly, began to creep out of the shadows, his eyes trained on the stranger.

“Hey, excuse me?”

The man was slow to look up, not acknowledging Navi at first. When the man made little motion, crept even closer, standing hunched and tense behind Navi

“Excuse me,” she tried again. “We were hoping maybe you could give us directions?”

The man mumbled something.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you, could you please speak louder?” Navi asked.

“I said to get out of my face. People are disgusting. Licking the boots of people in power, caring about no one but themselves. Even my own father and mother are disgusting.”

“I’m…. sorry?”  

He tilted his head up to stare at Link through baggy, narrowed eyes.

“I bet you’re disgusting too!”

Link stiffened, wide eyes locking with the man’s. For a moment, he was frozen in place.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to stare?” The man growled. “Go ahead. Laugh if you want. Laugh at the village freak.”

Whether through anxiety or through courage, Link finally found the courage to dart away, taking off at a dash past the man.

“What’s wrong with you?!” Navi quipped at the man. When he did not respond, she huffed before fluttering past to catch up with Link.

The boy did not stop until he reached a well near the center of the village. Besides the creepy guy at the entrance, the town appeared deserted; everyone seemed to have taken shelter at dusk. He took a seat along the side and took a moment to calm himself.

Navi fluttered to a rest on Link’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” She asked quietly.

Link gave the fairy a tiny nod. “I’ll be fine.”

Navi seemed unconvinced but chose not to press the matter. Instead she gave him a reassuring pat. “Hey, we should find someplace to sleep, don’t you think?”

Link turned his head. “I’m not really tired.”

A drop of water splattered onto the boy’s forehead, then another onto his ear.  Navi fluttered down to gently tap against his forehead where the water had splattered. “Nonsense,” She chided. “You may not be tired now, but you will be when you have to climb a mountain tomorrow. Come on, let’s look around a little. Even if you don’t want to try asking anyone for help, I’m sure there’s someplace safe you can shelter around here.”

The skull kid lowered his head, then finally gave in, giving Navi a “mmhm,” of consent, and then stood, taking another look around the village. Most of the houses were well lit. Normally, he did not feel all that bad about sneaking into places. But adults were a much bigger wild card than kokiri, who at worst might chase him around with a stick. Lifting his head back up, he spotted a dark path out of the corner of his eye, leading away from the village under a stone wall. There, that seemed like the perfect place to go for some peace and quiet. Quietly, he rose to his feet and patterned towards the archway.

The area beyond the arch was elevated in levels, odd wedge-shaped stones lining the cobblestone path. A stone gateway and tall wooden fence heralded the entrance to the enclosed area, a small little shack to the right just inside. A smaller, rickety wooden fence separated the shack and entrance from the stones.

Link carefully crept further into the area, uncertain of what to expect. A few more drops of water splattered on his face. Never that he could remember had he seen anything like this. He’d seen circles of stone made by the kokiri in their games. But each stone was irregular and messy. These were all uniform, with a set design and set a specific distance away from each other.

The boy approached the nearest stone, running a hand on the engravings. Some of it was a design; three triangles together making a bigger triangle, a bird, and other markings adorned the stone. But there was also text that Link could not decipher the meaning of.

“What does it mean?” Link asked.

“These are gravestones,” Navi explained. “They mark where people are buried after they die.”

He stared at the fairy for a moment as his hand brushed over the stone again, then lifted it as something else caught his eye.

“Hey look, over there!” He dashed off up the hill to the far end of the graveyard, coming to a stop in front of what had grabbed his attention. Although he could not see all of it well in the dark, he had made out a larger stone at the very end.

“This one seems special, what does it say?”

The fairy was silent for a moment, flying closer to illuminate the words. “... It says it is the tomb of the royal family.”

“So dead royal people are buried here?”

“It seems like it. We probably should not be snooping around here, Link, let’s try to find someplace else to sleep.”

Link started to agree, but a glimmer below his feet caught his eye in the moonlight. He took a step back, revealing a golden triangle mark at his feet, the same design as on the other gravestones. The more he thought about it, the more it reminded him of the stories that Zelda and the Deku Tree had told him.

“Hey,” he started, an idea coming to his mind. “Do you think anything would happen if I were to play that song Impa taught me here?”

Navi turned back to Link, watching him fiddle around in the darkness for the ocarina. “I don’t think it’s a good idea Link…” But before the words were out of her mouth, the boy had already started to play the little song.

At first nothing seemed to happen. Disappointed, Link began to turn away. But a distant rumbling, like thunder, stopped him in his tracks. Suddenly, the earth beneath his feet seemed to tremble. Another roll of thunder. And then it all seemed to stop. Link slowly crept back towards the gravestone, curious.

A flash of light. Before Link could react, there was an ear-splitting crack and explosion. The boy went flying into the air, dust and rock raining around him. He hit the ground with a hard thud, the breath knocked out of him. He tried to get up, but his entire body felt dull and distant. His head swam.

The last thing he heard before slipping away to unconsciousness was Navi calling out his name.

* * *

_He felt tired, and weak. His legs seemed to just barely function, only allowing him forward with stumbling and staggering steps. He felt a pang in his stomach but did his best to ignore it. The forest around him was dim, only the sound of the wildlife and his own footsteps accompanied him. Everything was filtered through weary eyes. He had to find… something. His brain was so fuzzy, he could not remember what._

_He stumbled. He tried to push himself to his feet, arms shaking, but he couldn’t find the strength. Maybe a rest was in order._

_…_

_He had never felt so exhausted. He had never felt so alive._

_He was cold and frightened. He felt brave and rejuvenated._

_He was… Link? Yes. His name was Link. He was… He did not remember what he was doing. But he was Link! That much, he could be certain of._

_He looked down to his hands. They were small, so small, made of shrunken, skeletal wood and bark with little whisps of darkness peeking out around his joints. His arms too, were of the same ashy wood. He brought a hand up to his face. It too seemed to have the same texture, and he had a feeling that, if he were to look in a mirror, it too would have the same wooden look._

_He pushed - no, he sprang to his feet with an excited hop._

_He did not know what he was, or where he was, but he knew that he was Link, and he knew that he did not have to be scared of the forest. The forest would keep him safe._

_He ran._

* * *

Link startled awake with a gasp, sitting up suddenly. Immediately his head swam and his vision blurred. Nothing was very painful, per say, but everything ached.

At first, his mind tried to grasp out and hold onto the dream, but the mundane memory quickly slipped away as he finally focused well enough to check his surroundings.

He was in a small wooden shack, resting under old, tattered, ratty looking blankets on an equally old-looking bed. Sunlight filtered through a small, slatted window onto his face. He blinked once, squinting in the light, and then turned his head, letting out a surprised cry when he realized that he was not alone.

To his side was a small wooden desk, Navi sitting on top and staring at him with worry etched into her features. But it was not Navi that caught him off guard.

To the side of the desk sat a man, staring at him intently. The human appeared old and lumpy, the beginnings of wrinkles clinging to his skin. His chin jutted out into an oversized underbite. The man’s beady eyes peered out under a balding head. His clothes were an old, muddy, sleeveless shirt, and and equally dirty trousers and boots. His skin was a clammy white.

Despite his off putting appearance, the man seemed non-threatening, a goofy smile on his face.

Navi was the first to break the silence. “Link?” She asked. “Are you okay? You’ve been asleep for a long time. I was worried maybe some of the debris hit your head…”

Link blinked a couple more times, trying to grasp at what had happened. That was right, he had played the royal song. And then lightning had struck nearby and…

“I’m fine,” he finally responded, shaking his head. “Just… sore.”

Navi broke out into a smile.

“Oh thank the goddesses. When you didn’t get up - even as it started pouring rain - I worried you were in worse shape. You’re fortunate Dampe, the gravekeeper here, happened to help you out.”

Link turned his attention to the bald man beside Navi. The man laughed.

“It’s-all good,” he slurred in a friendly voice. “It’s not often I get a visitor as unusual as yourself! Yer little friend here happened to see me leave my shack and came to me in a tizzy beggin for help. ‘Course I was happy to.”

“Link,” Navi led on when he said nothing and instead stared, “what do you say when people help you?”

“Oh, um, thank you,” The boy responded quickly with a bow of his head.

Dampe let out a hearty laugh. “Ha ha! No need to thank me little fella! Just think of it as a favor.”

Link gave the man a nod and opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by the sound of his growling stomach. The last time he had eaten had been his snack before sneaking into the castle the day before - if it was actually only yesterday.

He reached his hand down for his bag, and found it gone.

“Your bag is over there by the door.” The man gestured a meaty finger towards the exit. “I don’t have any food ready for you, sorry. I wouldn’t know what a, uh… a skull… kid…?” He shot an aside glance to Navi, and when she nodded, he continued. “I wouldn’t know what you would’a ate.”

“It’s okay,” Link responded quietly before kicking the covers off and pushing himself to the side of the bed. “I have plenty in my bag.”

For a moment, as he climbed to his feet, he was unsteady, body still aching. But he quickly spread his arms out and caught his balance. He shuffled over to where his bags - and boots apparently - were stored. First, he slipped the boots back onto his feet. Then he pulled the drawstring bag open, opting for one of the sweet pastries he had bought in Castle Town, and took a bite before reattaching the bag to his belt.

“Leaving so soon?” Dampe asked.

Link nodded. Navi stretched before lifting into the air, coming to a rest on Link’s shoulder. “We have a long journey ahead of us,” she responded for Link. “We have to head up the mountain at Princess Zelda’s request to meet with the gorons.”

The man chuckled. “Oh ho now, well, if you go back into the village main, there’s a path across the way with a guard stationed outside. That’s your path up the mountain, can’t miss it.”

Link gave Dampe a nod before taking hold of the handle of the door.

Dampe waved. “Come back and visit sometime! If yeh come at night, I might even give yeh a discounted rate to my grave tour service!”

The boy paused, halfway out the door? “Grave… tour?”

The man laughed, giving his knee a light slap. “Ol’ Dampe’s heart pounding gravedigging tour! Come back some evening and I’ll tell ya all about it.”

Link nodded slowly, still not really understanding what the man was talking about. “O...kay. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime. Thank you, Dampe.”

“Anytime kiddo, don’t be a stranger!”

Link closed the door behind him. The graveyard was much less gloomy in the daylight. The sun shone hight overhead; it must have been close to noon now. Link fidgeted with his belt nervously. The sooner he got up the mountain, the sooner he could get the stones to Zelda and go home.

He began to walk back towards the path leading towards the village, but a thought caught in his mind, and he instead found himself making his way towards the place he had been knocked unconscious the night before.

Navi continued a bit of a ways down the path, but as soon as she realized link had turned the other way, dashed after him to catch back up with the boy.

“Hey,” she called out. “We need to go this way!”

“I know, I know,” Link responded, holding a hand up. “But I want to check something first.” He followed the cobblestone path back up and around the side of the graveyard until he came to a stop at the marker he had stood in front of the night before.

Or at least, where it had been. Now, however, the stone was scattered in chunks around the area, leaving a gaping hole where the entrance once was. Link inched forward to peer into the hole. With the sun directly overhead, he could just barely see the bottom. A ladder allowed access below. He could only assume that several people were buried in the hole, and that the ladder would allow access to bring more into the grave when they were ready to join the bodies below.

He turned and began to scale down the ladder.

“Link, what do you think you’re doing?” Navi hissed, keeping her voice low as she zipped around his head.

“I’m going to check it out. I want to know what’s down here.”

“No you don’t, there are dead bodies down here, and that’s it! It’s impolite to go messing with people’s graves!”

But Link did not listen to the fairy, instead continuing his decent until he felt comfortable enough to hop down the rest of the fall. Navi let out a frustrated sigh and followed behind, not daring to leave the mischievous little child alone.

As Link’s eyes adjusted in the darkness, he could make out a pathway ahead of him. Slowly, he inched his way forward in the darkness, keeping one hand to the wall as guidance. Before long, the path opened to a small, stone room.

He let his hand fall to his side, then carefully crept forward further into the room. The light from the hole had left him behind, leaving only the dim glow from his eyes and the brighter glow from Navi to guide him.

His leg kicked something, sending it clattering across the room. He paused, waiting to see if something would happen, and when nothing did, he crouched to feel for whatever he had hit. His hands clasped around something, and he picked it up to get a better look.

Bone.

He tossed the bone away quickly, taking a better look around. As Navi flew forward in front of him to see what he had dropped, he could now see several bones scattered around the room, skeletons that had fallen to pieces and been scattered over time.

“Probably the remains of grave robbers,” Navi reported, flying closer to Link. “Are you satisfied? Can we go now?”

Link shook his head, edging further into the room until he found himself at the far side of it. In front of him was some sort of ledge that reached just over his head. He reached up and pulled himself to the top. A second ledge followed this one, and a third one after that. He scaled each of these too. When he reached the top, he found himself face to face with a door.

Slowly, he reached a hand forward and pushed. The door swung open with ease. He scurried on past it to see what might be ahead.

A small hall led to the next room. An unnatural glow illuminated the walls. From where he was, Link could see that the glow came to a pool of odd liquid just inside the room.

Feeling brave after the previous room, Link rushed forward. But as he reached the pools edge a high pitched shriek filled the air. For one long, horrifying moment, Link found himself frozen in place, unable to move anything but his eyes. They darted to the side. A horrible, rotting, shrunken creature had begun to shamble towards him. Navi zipped under his hood and spoke in a harsh, hushed whisper.

“That’s a redead, Link. As soon as you can move, walk back towards the exit. Slowly. It will lose interest if you don’t run.”

Link’s eyes instead darted to the pathway at the other end of the room. Several other redeads blocked the way. But none of them had begun to move.

He felt power return to his muscles. But instead of beginning to inch back towards the exit, he began to creep the other way. His eyes darted back to the side. Sure enough, as Navi had said, the redead had slowed to a stop, only staring.

“Link, what are you doing?” Navi hissed.

Link didn’t answer, instead continuing his painstakingly slow journey across the room, keeping an eye on the nearest redead. But finally, after what felt like forever, he reached the hall at the other end, leaving the creatures behind him.

Still, he had not a clue what lay on the other side, so he continued to move slowly. The same unnatural glow as before came from the next room. As he entered it though, he found it only had the water, and not the redeads as before.

The boy let out a sigh of relief and dashed on into the final room.

The walls of this room were covered in writing, ending with a wall adorned with the triforce symbol he had seen outside. Two unlit torches stood at either side.

The boy came to a stop in front of the shrine of sorts, looking over the odd etching he could not understand.

“Navi,” he asked quietly. “What does it say?”

“If I tell you, will you go back afterwards?”

He considered it for a moment. This was the end of the path. There was nowhere else to go but back. He nodded.

The fairy let out a small, relieved sigh. “Okay.”

She flew up to illuminate the words in front of her and spoke the words in a soft voice. “This poem is dedicated to the memory of the dearly departed members of the Royal Family. The rising sun will eventually set. A newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun… Give peaceful rest to the living dead.”

As the final verse came to a close, she was quiet for a moment. “Well, that was an interesting poem… huh?” Her attention was drawn to something etched into the corner of the stone. “There’s something carved here… it’s a song! Can you read sheet music?”

Link tilted his head, then shook it. “I don’t know what sheet music is.”

“It’s music written down… oh nevermind I’ll hum it for you. Who knows, maybe it will come in handy?”

Link brandished the ocarina as Navi began to hum. He carefully fingered the notes he knew from memory, matching them to the notes Navi was playing, then followed the notes she played behind, repeating the simple melody a couple times. Once he was certain he had the notes down, he returned the ocarina to his pouch.

“Are you done?”

“Mhmm.”

“Good, let’s get out of here!”

Link spun around and began the cautious journey back, through the tomb, taking great care to avoid disturbing the redeads as he passed through the middle room. As he passed through the final room, he kicked something again. This time, it did not give way like the bone before had. Instead, it held fast.

Link let out a startled cry and too late reached his arms out to catch himself. He hit the ground hard with an oomph, the item that tripped him clattering behind him.

After a second of recovery, he reached back to see just what could have tripped him up. His fingers came in contact with metal, and as he sat up, he found himself looking down at an old battered shield, its surface a brilliant blue and silver even in the dim light made by his eyes.

“Navi!” He called out to the fairy as she looped back to check and make sure he had not hurt himself. “Navi, I like this. I’m taking it with me.”

Navi let out a slow breath. “Link, taking something out of someone’s grave is what we call grave robbing. It is very, very bad.”

The boy tilted his head, staring without blinking. “Why? They’re not using it!”

“It’s disrespectful!”

“Oh… I’m taking it anyway.”

“Link!”

Link ignored her protests, instead taking the time to latch the shield - which was as big as his torso - around his tiny arm. It was certainly too big to use like this, but he could find a use for it later, after he got out of this murky hole. At the minimum, it would make a neat trophy. With his new treasure in tow, he headed back to the ladder and scrambled back out into the fresh, afternoon air.

This time, he wandered back to the village, stretching in the warm sunlight. It was much busier in the daytime than it had been the night before, the sound of people chatting, cuccos clucking, and hammers pounding away at wood filling the air. A few people stopped to give him curious, wary stares, but otherwise he was unbothered as he made his way back towards the well.

“Over there.”

Navi fluttered off to the side. Link turned his head and, spotting the barred inclined path ahead, dashed off after her.

In front of the gate, it was grassy. But it quickly gave way red dirt and stone beyond. A single, extremely bored looking guard stood beside the gate, leaning against the wall with a spear in hand.

Remembering his experience back at the castle, Link approached with hesitance in his step. Navi, however, was not waiting around and flew forward until she was in the man’s line of sight.

As soon as the man noticed the child approaching him, he stood up straight, holding out a hand to stop Link. “Hold it,” he started. “This area is not safe for children. Er…” He paused, taking note of the oversized shield and the sword on his back. “Even so, the road is closed except to official business only. Can’t you read.”

Link’s eyes flickered out for a second. “No. I can’t.” He paused, turning his head to Navi. “But… the princess sent us. That makes this official right?”

The guard stared them down quietly for a moment, then let out a snort, covering his mouth. “O-oh, did she now?”

Navi narrowed her eyes but did not comment. For a moment she was quiet, then, a memory of the day before sparked in her brain. She bobbed up and down for a moment. “Oh! the note, show him the note, Link!

Link made a tiny noise of realization. Immediately, he slid the shield off of his arm and reached into his bag, fishing around for the parchment Zelda had given him the day before. As soon as it came in contact with his fingers, he pulled it out, all but shoving it into the guard’s face.

The man blinked a couple times, then slowly leaned his spear to the side to take the parchment in both hands, turning it over once before opening it up to read the note contained inside. His straight face quickly gave way to an attempt to hide a grin. By the time he finished, he was snickering.

“ _This is Link...He is under my orders to save Hyrule._ ” The guard barely withheld his laughter. “W-well, I can verify this really is the princesses’ signature. What kind of funny game has she come up with now? I guess I have no choice.” He finally contained his snickers. “Are you sure about this kid? I really do mean it is dangerous up there. Tektites are all over the path. Not to mention the dodongos that sometimes come up from the depths of the mountain.”

Link simply nodded in response, eyes set in determination.

The man let out a small sigh and shrugged. “Alright, hold on.” He turned to walk to the far side of the gate where an iron wheel was set into the stone. Taking the wheel in both hands, he pulled down. Slowly, the gate began to open, creaking back to allow passage.

Impatient, as soon as the gap was wide enough to slip through, Link picked up his oversized shield again and slipped right on through, waving goodbye to the man as he took off up the path.

The already halfway over; perhaps it would have been better to stay in Kakariko another night. But he could not bring himself to wait any longer. Already, he was one more step closer to the second spiritual stone.


	9. Goron Pit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Link meets rocks.

“Link, look out!”

The skull kid rolled to the side in the nick of time, barely avoiding the tektite that dropped from above.

The tektite let out an angry screech, hopping and turning around back towards the boy. Link reached back to grab hold of his sword, standing defensively.

The insect charged, springing into the air in hopes of crashing into and smothering its prey. Link was faster, however. He crouched down and, at the last second, stabbed upwards, the blade cutting deep into the monster’s exposed belly. Its angry shriek became one of horror as Link used all his strength to push it back before removing his blade. The monster’s blood gushed outwards, spilling across the rocks as its shrieks became weaker. Mere moments passed before it gave one final twitch, the light leaving its single eye.

Link panted, running his blade on a rock to clear off as much blood as possible. This was the third time now in the past hour or so one of the monster insects had attacked him, considerably slowing his ascent. He was already well sick of it.

He began to walk again, taking a sip of water from a small canteen. This time, however, he thought to keep ahold of his sword, just in case any more of the red monsters grew brave and attempted to challenge him.

As the incline began to grow steeper, Link realized he could make out what looked like a cave up ahead. However, it could offer him nowhere to shelter and rest, as a huge boulder covered the entrance. The only cracks in the seal were far too small for even him to slip through.

Still the sight struck his curiosity. Carefully, checking his surroundings as he approached the area – much wider open than the path he had taken thus far - Link padded up to the great stone. For the most part, it appeared intact. However, he could make out small cracks near the top, though not deep to make it break apart. He ran a hand along the rock face, mind drifting to try and come up with reasons it would be there.

“If you’re looking for rock sirloin, I’m afraid you came at a bad time friend.”

The deep, yet quiet voice made Link whip around suddenly, his grip on his sword tightening.

In front of him was a huge brown being, their hands raised in front of them defensively. Despite their size, they appeared to mean Link no harm. He let the sword fall to the side and eyed them curiously.

“Woah there little guy!” The creature cried out, louder this time. “I ain’t gonna hurt you! I guess you haven’t ever met a Goron before.”

Link’s head tilted to the side. So… this was a Goron? They appeared rotund, and almost bean shaped, with short skinny legs, and great beefy arms. Small rock-like protrusions jutted from their head and back.

He shook his head.

“Well, it’s always nice to meet a guest!” The Goron responded with a chuckle, placing one hand over his belly. His stomach let out a low rumble shortly after, and his gaze sobered. “I’m afraid you came at a time we can’t offer you hospitality though, friend. That great boulder there blocks the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern, a very important place for us Gorons…”

“Gorons eat rocks,” Navi explained. “This was likely their primary food source.”

The Goron nodded a confirmation. “That’s correct, it was. But one day, many dodongos suddenly appeared inside the cavern. It quickly became a very dangerous place! And then, if that was not bad enough, a Gerudo in black armor used his magic to seal the entrance with that boulder!”

Link shot Navi a sideways glance. She did the same. Ganondorf had been here too, from the sound of things. And that could only mean one thing.

Navi fluttered closer to the Goron, urgency giving her voice an edge. “Um, if you do not mind, we were actually trying to head to your city on royal business. Could you point us in the right direction?”

The Goron’s face immediately lit up. “Are you messengers for the royal family? Have you come with aid? By all means don’t let me keep you waiting! If you keep following this path up the mountain-” he cut off to turn and point towards another incline turning back, “you’ll come right to Goron City’s entrance. If there’s something you can do, anything, please do!”

Link gave the Goron a quick nod. With renewed vigor, he took off at a light jog up the path, hoping that he was not too late.

* * *

Night fell before the duo could arrive, forcing them to tread carefully in the darkness. Link walked with one hand to the cliff raising high to his left, keeping an eye on the path in front of him for any gaps or holes. To his right, the path fell off sharply. Even with a fence to help prevent accidental falls in some spots, it was still nerve-racking to walk in the near darkness with a chance at untimely demise so close by.

Navi flew slightly ahead, leading the way with her pale light. Link painstakingly made sure to keep his footsteps only within the light, lest he slip and fall to his doom into the darkness below. Would the fall actually kill something undead like him? He would rather not find out.

For a moment, Link considered contacting Saria and Skull Kid to pass the time, as he had the evening before. But the danger around him made him reconsider, and instead he chose to follow silently and obediently behind his fairy friend.

Suddenly Navi came to a stop. Link slowed to a stop behind her.

“I think we’re here,” the fairy whispered. “Look.” She fluttered ahead just a few feet, illuminating a raised platform in front of her. Stones had been placed in an unnatural near perfect circle on the platform itself. For what reason they were placed, Link did not know. But he knew one thing for sure- it meant civilization.

But it was not the only thing he spotted. As Navi’s light drew further from his eyes, he could see a second, distant warm orange glow beyond the platform. The glow of firelight in a cave. That was it, it had to be the entrance.

With renewed effort, he trekked behind Navi quickly and carefully, finishing the last few minutes of the trip in silence. Soon, the warm glow overtook Navi’s glow as he reached the cave entrance.

Link found himself in a vast, open cavern, lit by torches both at ground level and far above. On the far end, he could see the wall painted with faded colors that must once have been vibrant, depicting great, scaly, fire breathing beast. In front of it, suspended by thick ropes was a raised platform. It appeared to be empty.

The walkway he was on looked like it looped almost all the way around the space, sharply dropping off towards the center. As he inched close to the edge, he could see similar rings below, stretching out until the pit bottomed out. Although he could not make out the details well from here, at the center of the ground level appeared to be a ginormous clay pot.

Link backed away from the edge. Technically, he could make the jump down to the next level with no trouble, but without knowing he could find a way back up, he chose to instead search for another way. He glanced both to the right and the left. On either side a tunnel branched off, leading to a location that he could not make out from here.

Link chose to try the left path, giving the drop off a wide berth as he worked his way around the path. As he reached the tunnel, he could see in the dim light that it angled downwards, and as he began to descend, it curved back, spitting him out on the middle level.

Turning right, the next tunnel he encountered did the same, bringing him to the bottom level. From here, he could see he was right that the thing in the center was a huge clay pot, carved in the form of Gorons.

But other than the size, the pot did not interest him any. Perhaps what actually made him the most curious, however, was the closed door he could see just beyond. As he approached it, he could see that it too was carved from stone, with etching on it of what looked to him like fire and four triangles set into a shape that reminded him of an animal’s paw print. Unlike the tunnels, this entryway happened to have what looked a woven mat at the entrance.

His gaze swept to the side, noting a Goron to the right that seemed to be dozing off.

Until Navi spoke to him, that is.

“Hey, Excuse me!” They fairy called out.

The Goron startled awake, uncurling. Almost immediately the rock creature was on his feet, eying the skull kid and his fairy cautiously.

“We were looking for-”

“Say no more,” the Goron said, holding up a hand. “I can see it written all over your face. If I'm not mistaken, you came out here to eat the red stone! Well, too bad! It's not here!”

Link blinked once, staring at the Goron dumbfoundedly.

“What? No!” Navi responded for him, bobbing back and forth just slightly impatiently. “He doesn’t eat rocks. He eats… fruit. And bugs, apparently.” She came to a stop directly in front of the Goron. “No, we’re not here to eat any rocks, but we are looking for a spiritual stone, do you know where we might find it?”

The Goron tilted his head. “Spiritual… stone? Do you mean the delicious-looking red stone that used to be displayed up there?” He tilted his head to look up towards the suspended platform far above them. Navi and Link looked up in turn.

“That sounds like the kind of place a special stone like this would be.”

The Goron shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s not there anymore. See, I was so hungry that I thought it would be okay if I gave it one tiny little lick...so I snuck out here. But it was already gone! I think Big Brother took it away. He always says that everyone is after that red stone!”

“Big… Brother?”

The Goron’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Big Brother Darunia, Chief of the Gorons?!”

Link slowly shook his head. Navi however seemed at least somewhat familiar. “I believe I have heard the name mentioned before. You’ll have to excuse my friend’s cluelessness. Link here is from the forest, and this is only the first time he’s left.”

The Goron’s demeanor softened; he gave Link a gentle smile. “Apologies then, my friend. It’s rare to have visitors that are not already familiar with our customs. If you wish to see the spiritual stone, you’ll have to try speaking with Darunia.”

“That’s fine,” Navi confirmed. “Where is he?”

The gentle giant’s smile faltered. “That… might be a problem, actually. He gestured to the door beside him. “Big Brother has shut himself up in his room saying, ‘I will wait in here for the Royal Family's messenger!’ Unless you bring news from the castle, I’m afraid it may be some time before you’re able to get in. We Gorons are having something of a crisis at the moment, I’m afraid.”

“A food shortage, right?” Navi asked. When the Goron nodded, she continued. “We were filled in back near the cavern’s entrance. Actually… we were sent here by the royal family. The princess, more specifically, sent us.”

The Goron’s eyes lit up. “Then you’re here to do something about the food crisis? Then please, let me let you in!” He began to move, then stopped.

“Actually…” he started.

“What is it?”

“I was told that the messenger would come bearing some sort of proof. Something that only someone with a connection to royalty would have. I’m afraid without that, I can’t let you in.”

Dismayed, Link turned his head to Navi. The guard back in Kakariko had kept the note From Zelda. What else did they have?

Navi pondered the question for a moment, letting her mind wander back over the last few days, settling over the thoughts of their interaction with the princess; her dream… the story of the triforce… the male Gerudo… Impa… Impa! That was it!

“Link! The song! Play Zelda’s song!”

Link’s eyes immediately lit up. Of course! If anything would work, that would. His hands quickly reached into his pockets, fishing for the ocarina that was becoming familiar to his hands fast. His fingers brushed over the holes as he recited the song in his head. Only once he was certain he had the notes memorized did he begin to play.

The notes of the lullaby rang in the air, clear and calming. The boy’s eye-lights flickered out as he found his worries melting away with the melody, memories of playing music with Skull Kid sticking in his head.

When his song drew to a close, the cavern was silent, save for the quiet breathing of both himself and the Goron beside him, and the soft crackle of torch flame.

Finally, a quiet, but firm voice sounded from beyond the sealed entrance.

“Let them in.”

The Goron by the door snapped to attention at once before waddling over to the stone door and reaching down to give it a lift. The sound of stone grinding against stone rang, and slowly, the door began to retreat into a hole within the cave wall, revealing another short tunnel.

Although the pathway was dim, Link could see a brightly lit room not far beyond. He gave the Goron a wide smile and a fast, friendly wave, then stepped inside the room.

The room was sparsely decorated. And yet, it was much more extravagant than any other part of the city he had seen thus far. The only furniture was a couple of small tables, but beautiful handwoven carpets took up most of the floor. The walls had been carved into with intricate designs, and the carvings then painted a darker color. Banners adorned by the triforce symbol hung from the ceiling. And at the end, a carefully carved stone statue of a Goron stood, watching over all the room’s inhabitants.

But it was the real Goron that stood in front of the statue that caught Link’s eye. He was huge, far bigger and beefier than any of the other Gorons Link had seen thus far, standing more than twice his own height. From his head came great stiff tufts of thick hair, more like a mane than anything else.

The Goron stared Link down, the expression of his deep blue-violet eyes unreadable, crossing arms thicker than Link’s head. Not even against Gohma had Link felt so small.

Link slowed his pace to a stop a few feet away.

“So…” the Goron started. “Who the heck are you?”

“I am Navi,” the fairy chimed in response. “And this is Link. We were-”

She was cut off as Darunia began to mutter to himself, ignoring her. “When I heard the song of the Royal Family, I expected their messenger had arrived, but… I mean, the weird kid knows it, which I suppose makes him the messenger but…”

He suddenly jabbed a finger at Link, raising his voice. “You’re just a kid! Tell me, has Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons, really lost so much status to be treated like this by his Sworn Brother, the King?”

Link took a startled step back, aghast. “I-”

Navi was the one that found her tongue first, answering for him. “What? No, of course not! We-”

But she was cut off again.

“Now, I'm REALLY angry!” The Goron roared. “Get out of my face, now!”

“WAIT!” Navi cried out in protest, fluttering dangerously close to the enraged Goron’s face, her erratic flight causing her to let out jingles from frustration. “If you would just let us explain-”

Darunia cut her of tartly. “I don’t have time to entertain children. If you haven’t noticed, we Gorons are in the middle of a crisis! Ancient creatures have infested the Dodongo's Cavern! Starvation and hunger because of the rock shortage! If that wasn’t enough, we've had a poor harvest of our specialty crop!” He let out a long huff, before finally calming just slightly, steadying his breathing.

“But… This is a Goron problem! We don't need any help from strangers! And certainly not from a royal family that couldn’t bother to send anyone other than a child to speak with us.”

He turned away from the duo, arms crossed. “Begone from my sight. You are free to stay the night, but I expect you to be gone by morning, understand? You come at a bad time, we have no room for hospitality.”

“But-”

“Navi.”

The fairy turned back to Look at Link. He had retreated to the edge of the room once Darunia had turned and now was staring straight at the fairy. He only shook his head, and turned to walk away, shoulders slumped.

Navi hesitated, but followed him out, stopping with him just outside.

“Well, that went terribly. But… We can’t just give up. There has to be some way to get through to him, don’t you think?”

Link shrugged, looking back to Navi for a moment before continuing onward towards the path back up, ignoring the question from the Goron beside the door.

Navi began to fly after Link, but stopped for a moment, turning back to speak to the Goron briefly before catching up.

“Link, he said he overheard everything. They don’t have any traditional beds, but there’s a tunnel nearby that sometimes blows wind from the forest. He said it might be a nice place to relaz.”

The boy shrugged, considering his options for a moment, then shrugged again, suddenly feeling very weary. How late was it now? Staying up any longer would do him no good. He gave the fairy a tiny nod, beginning his search for the place to sleep.

Navi dashed forward to nuzzle up against the side of his jaw, a show of comfort. “Don’t worry,” she said quietly. “Sleep on it. Think on it. We’ll come up with something in the morning.”

* * *

_Everyone seemed to be asleep; only the sound of chirping crickets and nocturnal creatures sounded throughout the Kokiri Forest. Good children were asleep at this time of night._

_But by Kokiri standards, Link could hardly be considered a “good child.”_

_Good children did not help other children put prickly burrs in other children’s beds. Good children did not find breaking pots amusing._

_And good children certainly didn’t go digging in other people’s treasure boxes just because they could._

_Yet here Link was, creeping into the village of forest children well after dark, his eyes on a particular chest he had seen the last time he and his friend had snuck into the village. Did it have anything interesting? He had no clue; it was the act of sneaking in to look that made it so enticing._

_He adjusted his scratchy, fingerless gloves. It was only one small part of the outfit his friend had given him recently, the clothing that most skull kids wore, a sign of who they were, another way they were the same as the Kokiri but different. Honestly? It was too big, and itchy. His friend looked much better in the colors._

_Perhaps, he thought as he crept quietly through the darkness, there was more to his interest in the forest than he realized. He’d always had some level of interest in the area since Skully had introduced him to it. Perhaps that was why he had chosen to make his home so close to the home of the other forest spirits._

_For one reason or another he felt like there was something he had to do here. Something he had forgotten…_

_The house he was looking for was just ahead. He’d learned from his bits of exploration and creeping around that this particular Kokiri was a bit full of himself. And also, a particularly heavy sleeper._

_But as he approached the house, a path beyond him caught his attention. More than once in his trips, to the Kokiri Forest, he’d noticed the path before, but curiosity had never been strong enough to pull him towards the area. But tonight, he found it calling out to him._

_Ransacking the Kokiri boy’s treasure would have to wait._

_Link changed his route towards the path, creeping along quietly in hopes of avoiding waking the other children. The path wound back and forth between two raised rock and dirt walls. What made him most interested, however, was the sound of resting Deku Baba plants to the sides. He took great care not to disturb them._

_Before too long, the path opened back up into a large clearing, bits of moonlight filtering down through the canopy of leaves above._

_Before Link was a gargantuan tree, far larger than any Link had ever seen, even in the twisting and winding Lost Woods. He made one last glance behind him, then turned to dash closer to the tree’s roots for a closer look._

_A creaking noise brought him to a sudden halt. He froze in place, not daring to twitch a finger or even blink._

_‘Child of the Lost Woods,’ A voice rang out around him, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. ‘What bringeth thee here?’_

_Link let out a yelp, springing a good foot up into the air. Furiously he whipped his head back in forth in an attempt to find what the source might be._

_The voice chuckled in his head. “You need not fear, child. Any child of the forest or the woods is indeed welcome here. I, the Great Deku tree, welcome all underneath my protection.”_

_He finally turned his attention to the tree. How odd, how peculiar. And yet, he felt like it made sense. A forest spirit protecting all forest spirits._

_“I came to look around,” he half-lied. Certainly, he would not be welcome if his mischievous antics were revealed, right?_

_The tree was silent for a moment, but then he laughed again, “Now, now, child, I can hear that thine words ring not true. I hear worry in thine voice. Come, sit amongst my roots, thou may speakest to me of thine troubles and I will listen.”_

* * *

Link groggily blinked awake, parts of the dream of meeting the Deku Tree still lingering in his mind. They left a sour taste in his mouth. Not because of any part of the dream, but because it reminded him of the Deku Tree’s request. And of Zelda’s request. And of how it seemed like he had already failed.

Sure, he was not ready to quit quite yet. But what could he do, steal the Sacred Stone? Certainly, the idea, while maybe not the best solution, was not totally out of the picture for him. But how could he manage to even pull it off, when he had not a single clue as to the whereabouts of the gem.

Navi stirred, her sleep disturbed by Link’s movement. She fluttered up to rest on his shoulder as he sat up, stiff from his rest on the dirt floor. Gorons seemed like they could just curl up and take a nap at any time, almost anywhere. No wonder they had no “traditional beds.”

Link stretched, arms raising high as he blinked his sleep from his eyes. It was just as dark in the tunnel he had slept in as it had been the night before. In fact, he had no clue what time of day it might be without the sun or moon to tell him. It could be the middle of the night still, for all he knew.

His stomach rumbled, the only real sign that much time had passed. It occurred to him that he had not eaten since before he had left Kakariko the day before. He shifted to reach for his bag, pulling out some of the remaining wrapped fruit, and ripped a small chunk of bread off the remainder of his loaf. For a moment, he wondered if Goron cuisine was anything he’d enjoy. Then again, they kept speaking of eating rocks. He may have… odd tastes in comparison to humans or Kokiri, but even _he_ would never eat a rock.

He took a bite of the bread, chewing thoughtfully. He did not feel much better rested than he had been when he arrived. But it did not matter. Darunia expected him to leave. But he had to find some way to get that stone. His mind drifted to the angry Goron the night before. In his current state of mind, he had no hope of getting through to him. There _had_ to be some way he could get him to calm long enough to talk at least…

...Maybe Saria would have an idea.

As soon as he had finished his modest breakfast Link moved to dig the fairy ocarina from his pockets and began to play the familiar tune.

Several moments of silence followed, then finally Saria’s sweet, singsong voice answered.

“Link? Link can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” Link responded, holding back a yawn.

“That’s good. Where are you? We were worried when you didn't call. Skull Kid was especially worried.”

“Skull Kid is there?”

“He's asleep,” she explained. “But yes, he’s here. He snuck into my house sometime last night. I'm pretty sure he stayed up and watched me sleep waiting for a call from you. Does… I'm not sure how well he understands what personal space is.”

Link could not help but giggle at Sarias frustrated tone. He himself, on several occasions had awoken to Skully’s face hanging above his, eagerly waiting for him to awake.

“But enough about that, how-” Saria cut off mid-sentence.

“LINK!” Skull Kid’s voice rang in his head. “Linklinklinklinklink! There you are finally! I was waiting all night for you! Did you find the stone already? I bet you did because you're totally cool. Well?”

“Well… not really, actually. No.”

“Oh.”

Link let out a sigh. “I made it to the Gorons but… they don't want to listen.”

“They’re having problems here too,” Navi chimed in after landing on the ocarina. “Food shortages for one thing, likely caused by the same man that cursed the Deku Tree.” She paused. “How… are things there right now, anyways. Has anything… changed?”

“Nothing…” There was a moment of hesitation in Saria’s voice. “Nothing so far. But it’s been… four days now? The forest grew over hundreds… thousands of years even. It will likely take more time for the effects of our guardian’s death to show.”

“Aw chin up,” Skull Kid butted in cheekily. Link could only imagine that he was making some sort of silly face as an attempt to lighten the mood. “I’m sure everything will be fine. Besides. Us skull kids have survived for just as long without the Deku Tree’s help. You Kokiri could do it too!”

“It’s not that simple,” Saria responded glumly.

“She’s right,” Navi added. “Even the Lost Woods were under some level of guidance and control of the Deku Tree. It’s mists helped keep the Kokiri safe from intruders, but the Deku Tree kept the mists from spreading too far. Once his power fades…” She trailed off.

“You don’t _know_ anything bad will happen though,” Skull Kid argued. “Why worry then. It just makes you a bunch of sad, sobby people! Have some fun.”

“I can’t just _not_ worry about it, Skull Kid!”

“...We’re… getting off topic,” Link finally cut in quietly and hesitantly, before the two forest dwellers could become tenser. “I know this is important too but… could we worry about the stone first? I… never told you guys I saw the man that probably cursed the Deku Tree, did I?”

Silence.

“I guess not.”

“No… What’s he like?” Saria finally asked.

“He’s really tall. Taller than most adults that I saw. And his hair is the color of a fire! He wore dark armor and… And his eyes were the scariest part- he looked like he could kill you just by looking at you!”

Neither Saria nor Skull Kid responded for a while. Skull Kid was the one to break the silence this time.

“So… are you gonna fight him?”

“What?” Navi cut in. “Of course not! We are _not_ going to fight him. We’re going to stop him before he has the chance to hurt anyone. Then the adults can deal with it.”

“Adults can’t be trusted to deal with anything,” Skull Kid grumbled, but he quickly changed the subject. “So, you need to get the Gorons to listen to you, so you can get the stone from them right?”

“Right.”

“Well, what about a gift? Or a trade of some sort?” Saria suggested.

“What do you have in mind?” Link asked.

“I don’t know… what are you good at? Besides mischief. I don’t think they’d appreciate your childish antics.”

“Oh, I know! Put bomb powder in with their food! They eat rocks, right? No one would notice!”

“SKULL KID! That is the exact OPPOSITE of a good idea!”

Skull Kid cackled. “Kidding! Totally Kidding!” He probably was not kidding.

“...Well…” Link started, considering. “I can swing a sword. And I can play music. And…. Actually, I think that’s it. If we’re not counting pranking as a skill.”

“Music sounds like a great idea,” Saria responded. “It should be a great show of goodwill. Now… what song should you play. Something cheerful maybe? Or maybe you could pick up some of their own music, as a show that you’re interested in their culture?”

“I hear Gorons make great lullabys,” Skull Kid suggested. “That should put someone that’s angry right to sleep right?”

Link opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes caught movement in the dim light. He turned his head towards the source. A Goron stood at the end of the tunnel, staring and shifting on his feet.

“Uh, guys, I think I need to go. But I’ll keep the ideas in mind.”

“Come home soon! It’s so _boring_ without you!” Was the last thing Link heard from Skull Kid before pulling his hand away.

Link quickly stashed the ocarina back away before scrambling to his feet. For several minutes, he and the Goron stared at each other in silence. But surprisingly, it was Link that broke the silence.

“Um… how long have you been standing there?” Link asked, nervously fiddling with the bottom of his tunic.

“A few minutes,” the Goron responded, unmoving. “I thought I heard music. Instead I found you talking to yourself.”

“Oh, the music was me, too.” He considered explaining himself but decided against it. After all, who knew how much sense that would make to anyone else. A magical ocarina? That just sounds like crazy talk!

The Goron brought a hand to his chin, considering. “Then… are you, by chance, from the forest?”

Link nodded in response.

Excited, the Goron approached faster now, taking hold of Link’s tiny wooden hands. “I knew it! I knew I recognized that tune!”

He raised back up to full height, gesturing to the pile of rocks behind Link. “We used to be able to hear it drifting from the forest through here sometimes, until the tunnel collapsed. Everyone loved it.”

He stooped back down, once again taking Link’s hands. “Do you think you could come play it for everyone? We’re all so tired and hungry, but maybe it might lift everyone's spirits like it did mine!”

Link considered it, looking back to Navi. It could be a huge waste of time… or exactly what they needed to continue their quest.

Finally, eyes sparkling, he turned his attention back to the Goron. “Do you want to hear it on flute or ocarina?”

* * *

Darunia was tired.

He was more than tired, really. Hunger gnawed at his stomach. Today would mark his third day of his impromptu “fast”, and a whole week since his last actual decent meal, having offered his portion of his quickly dwindling reserves to the neediest of his people.

They were running out of time.

How long would it be before he began to see his people perish at the claws of starvation? How long before he, too, succumbed to hunger’s cruel whims?

His tribe’s pride would not allow him to just give into the Gerudo man's demands. But how many of his people could he watch suffer before he would be forced to relent?

Would giving into his demands even save his people? Or would they be left to starve anyways?

More than once, he had considered leaving to solve the problem of Dodongo's cavern. But twice since the sealing, the Gerudo had come to demand he hand over the stone. Would he slaughter his people to take it by force, if he saw that Darunia had left?

He could not risk it.

And then there was the matter of the wooden child from the night before. He had been foolish to think the royal family would send help. They had been a neutral party in the civil war, the Gorons having no use for the people and lands beyond their mountain. He had not expected much. But to send a CHILD to do an adult’s job? It insulted him and disgraced the royal Hylians.

Darunia was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of music outside his chamber, and not far from outside at that. The tune struck a chord, familiar to his ears, a memory of better times. Finally, curiosity got the better of the Goron chief. He stepped outside into the main chamber.

Several Gorons had gathered in the lowest floor, rain their heads higher up towards the next floor. Many were dancing, while others clapped along with the beat.

But at the head of it all, standing high and proud on the ledge above, was the wooden child from the night before, fingers gliding along the surface of an ocarina.

One particularly excited Goron appeared beside the boy, brandishing a tambourine. Wind instrument melded with a traditional Goron sound. Creating a lively fusion.

When was the last time Darunia had seen his people this jubilant? Certainly, it had to have been before their current misfortune had struck.

Darunia felt a smile creeping onto his face. For the first time in well over a month, watching his people dance and be joyful, he felt the weight of all the wrongs in their world lifting from his shoulders, even if only for the moment.

Mind free of the stresses upon him for a moment, Darunia began to dance with his people hopping from foot to foot and swinging his arms wildly.

“Oh!”

“What a hot beat!”

“Come on! Come on come on!”

However long the group danced, he could not be sure. But by the time the song drew to a close, even with the hunger still gnawing at him, Darunia felt more at peace than he had in weeks.

“What a nice tune!” He called out, causing the entire cavern to turn to him. His mind drew back to the night before, when he had so harshly turned the boy away. He could see now that it had been a mistake. If nothing else, it would not hurt him to listen to what the kid had to say.

“Hey kid! Come on down here, I’d like to have a word with you!”

The kid opened his mouth slightly in shock. But he wasted no time regardless, choosing to slide down the side of the cliff instead of taking the tunnel down. In no time at all, he was bounding to catch up to the Goron chief as he made his way back to his chamber.

* * *

Once again, Link found himself in Darunia’s room, nervously tugging at his tunic. This time, however, the great boulder of a Goron seemed much more at ease as he took a moment to adjust the jars on his sparse furniture. Once he seemed satisfied, he turned back to the skull kid.

“I need to apologize to you, kid. I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately, worried about everything going on here. But that music you played. Oh, it made me think back to better times. Something just came over me! I suddenly wanted to dance like crazy!

“Let me introduce myself properly. I am Darunia! I'm the big boss of the Gorons!” The huge boulder of a Goron beat a fist against his chest. “You seemed to have something you wanted to say last night. Was there something you wanted to ask me about?”

Link turned his head to look at Navi, who seemed almost as surprised as he was. But unwilling to let the opportunity pass, Navi spoke up.

“Well, you see sir, we’ve been asked by the princess to gather three Sacred Stones, in hopes of stopping an evil man from taking them, and from doing bad things. We’ve already got one - Link show him the emerald.” She paused long enough to allow Link time to brandish the gem and present it to Darunia before she continued. “So we came with the request of borrowing the Goron’s gem.”

Darunia’s gaze darkened slightly. He turned his head to the side, raising a finger to his chin. “So… you want the Spiritual Stone of Fire, too?” He turned his head back. “The Spiritual Stone of Fire, also known as the Goron's Ruby, is our race's hidden treasure....” For a moment he seemed like he was considering something, but he made no movement.

“As such, it is not something I can just give up to you. Especially not in a moment of crisis like we have now. But… I would be willing to part with it for the greater good, if you are willing to do us a service in return.”

“What kind of service?” Navi asked.

“Our food source, Dodongo’s cavern, was cut off by that wicked man, possibly the same one you are trying to stop. Why don't you go destroy the monsters inside of the Dodongo's Cavern and prove you're a real man? That way, everybody will be happy again! More than that, it would be saving my people from starvation. If you do it, I will give you anything you want, even the Spiritual Stone! Is that fair to you?”

Link tilted his head considering.

“Now hold on,” Navi interjected. “I understand your reasoning, but there has to be-”

“I’ll do it.”

“Wait, Link!” Navi whipped around to face the boy, flying close. “Look, Link. You don’t understand. A monster infested Dodongo’s cavern is dangerous enough for someone like a Goron. But it’s a place of fire and lava. Your body is made of wood. One wrong step could _kill_ you.”

For a second, Link froze, eyes wide. But then he shook his head to clear it. “I’ll just have to try.”

Darunia seemed to hesitate for a moment too. But finally, he responded after shaking his head to clear it as he began to walk back to the table to his side. “If you really do mean to try, I have something for you. I'm not really giving you this in return for anything but take it anyway. If you wear this, even a little fella like you can pick a Bomb Flower - one of the special crops us Gorons raise. They work like a bomb, exploding shortly after you pick it. So, you have to be _very_ careful. Still, you’ll need this just to get inside. Understand?”

He turned back to Link, holding out a small, gold colored bracelet that was spiky on one end. An inset red crest, similar to the design Link had seen painted on the walls, decorated it.

Link accepted the item, slowly slipping it over his wrist. “... How does this actually help me?”

“Firstly, the bomb flowers are heavier than they look, it helps you like a brace would. But secondly, the leaves are quite sharp, so the bracelet protects your wrist when you go to pick the bud, understand.”

Link considered for a moment, then slowly, he nodded. “I… think so.”

The Goron smiled. “Glad to hear it. Good luck little guy, I look forward to seeing you soon!”

The boy adjusted the bracelet on his hand then turned to scurry out of the room. The day may have been half over already, but he could not sit and wait. Dodongo’s cavern awaited him!


	10. Through Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the caverns are entered.

“Look out below!” were the only words of warning the Goron guarding Dodongo’s cavern got before a bomb flower -tossed from the cliff above his head - came flying down, landing just beside the giant boulder blocking their mines. He curled and rolled, dashing a few feet away out of the line of fire. The flower exploded, shaking the area around him and throwing dust up into the air. Chunks of rock flew through the air beside him, landing with a crunch.

He stayed curled up for some time, until the dust finally settled. When he finally did look up though he found pieces of rock scattered about the area. He whipped his head back towards the entrance to the cavern. The boulder that had blocked the entrance was now in shambles, leaving chunks of rock here and there. The way may not be totally clear, but it had opened enough for someone to enter if they climbed over the remains. And most of said remains were now in pieces small enough to be moved out of the way.

Slowly, it occurred to the Goron to look up above, towards where the bomb must have been thrown from. His head tilted upwards. Above him a wooden child - the same child from the day before - stood, waving down with a big, toothy smile on his face. He hesitantly held a hand up to wave back.

“Did you see that Navi?” Link asked, turning his gaze to his fairy. “That was so cool!”

The fairy flittered back and forth around the child worriedly. “Yes, yes, but be careful with those Link! They’re not like a slingshot, you could gravely injure someone with an explosion like that. Or yourself!”

The child laughed, waving his hand dismissively. “You worry too much. Now come on, we should get moving! The sooner we sort out that cavern, the better!”

Navi finally landed on his shoulder. “Are you sure about this Link? It’s really one of the most dangerous places you could go. It would be bad enough for… say, a Kokiri. But you’re made of wood. Highly flammable wood.”

Link let his hands fall to his side, his cheeky smile faltering. For a moment, it seemed like he really was going to consider it. But then he clenched his fists. “I have to do it. I said I would. Besides, we need that stone!” Without another word, he began to climb over the fence, lifting a foot to climb onto the barricade.

“ _What are you doing?!”_

“I’m going to jump. It’s faster.”

“You’re going to break your legs is what you’re going to do!”

“Can someone made of wood even break their legs?”

“YES!”

Link just laughed. With both feet on the top rung, he sprang, flying into the air before suddenly dropping like a rock. But before he hit the bottom, he found his fall broken by falling into someone’s arms.

“Ooof!”

Dazed, it took Link a moment to reorient himself. He found himself in the arms of the Goron from down by the cavern, who must have had to move like crazy to catch him in time.

“Aw, thanks!” He said cheerfully with a giggle.

“No… problem…” The Goron replied slowly, eyes still wide from the stunt.

Navi, having been thrown off by the jump seconds ago, fluttered down at a much more reasonable pace. “Honestly, have you lost your mind? What if you _had_ broken something, we’d be set back by weeks. Don’t _ever_ do that again. Understand?”

Link blinked at the fairy once, then nodded, although he did not seem to act like he understood at all. That, or he did not care. Regardless, he hopped out of the Goron’s arms and began to scamper towards the rubble in front of the cavern entrance.

“Hey wait!” The Goron called out to him.

Link paused, turning his head back.

“You don’t really mean to go in there, do you? It’s dangerous!”

“I said I would,” Link responded with a nod of his head before turning towards it once again.

The Goron hesitated for a moment. “Well… hold on a second at least!”

The boy paused, turning his head back towards the rock person, who hobbled over to him.

“Here, look, that shield is way too big for you to use it like that.” He pointed to the hylian shield on the boy’s arm, which was keeping him off-center with its weigh.

“Try using it like this.” Carefully, the Goron slid Link’s arm out of the straps, lifting the shield off and moving it to his back. He lifted one of the small skull kid’s arms, pulling it through one strap, then did the same with the other. Finally, to give it a little extra stability, he took a third strap that ran diagonal and ran looped it over Link’s shoulder.

“There. No you can duck behind it like a Goron would shield with their back.” The Goron gave a friendly smile, gesturing to his stony backside.

Finally settled, Link fished again into his bag for the smaller Kokiri shield he had used before. Then he gave the Goron one last smile and wave before scampering off over the pile of rubble and into the cavern beyond.

As his eyes began to adjust in the dim light, the first thing Link noticed was the sweltering heat. Some summer days were so hot and humid that he would want to just lay down and do nothing. This heat was dry but seemed to be hotter than any day he was used to.

The room he was in was relatively small and dark. With the light provided by Navi, he could just make out the dim shapes of bomb flowers growing in the dim light to either side of him. But perhaps what was as out of place as the wooden boy was, was the boulder seated firmly in front of him, smaller but similar to the one that had blocked him from getting this far.

Link approached one of the bomb flowers, digging his feet into the ground as he gripped the bud from the bottom, pulling until it came loose with a satisfying pop. He stumbled back from the sudden loss of resistance, dropping the bud. Almost immediately, the flower began to fizzle and smoke. He grabbed hold of it only for long enough to chuck it at the boulder blocking his path, then sprang as far away as the small room would allow.

The flower continued to fizzle and pop for a few seconds, until finally, it exploded, bits of the bud flying outwards. Bits of rock flew into the air, thrown this way and that into the walls and onto the floor, one chunk just barely avoiding hitting Link in the head.

As the dust settled, light filled the room. As did heat, so much more heat than before. Link began to make his way towards the new opening, climbing over bits of debris. The heat continued to only grow worse, so much worse. Already, his body felt dry and parched. And as he walked into the cavern beyond, he could see why.

He was on a ledge overlooking a huge room. Below him, over the edge, slow, nearly solidified lava oozed around the center of the room, heating the rock and metal, and of course, the air of the room to sweltering temperatures.

Link took a couple steps back, assessing the rest of the chamber. The only way to advance was by jumping to a precarious pillar of rock, surrounded by the lava below. Another, larger platform stood beyond that. From there, he could travel by the same method to other outcroppings similar to, but larger than the one he was on.

Glancing up, he could make out the form of bridges and more cliffs suspended above him, way too far for him to reach. And at the far end of the room was a humungous animal skull buried partway into the wall.

Link slowly made his way out onto the metal pier, making sure to keep his balance on the spread-out slats. “This place is so weird…” he mumbled. “How would they do anything in here, with everything so… inaccessible?”

“Well,” Navi began, considering. “For one thing, Gorons can survive on hot coals and even in lava for a short time. But more importantly… it sounds to me like this place was cursed by Ganondorf, just like the Deku Tree was. If so, depending on the strength of the curse, it could be anything from the destruction of paths, to literal warping of the layout of the caves.

“Which is _why_ ,” she continued with emphasis. “I think we should try to speak with Darunia and find another way. This place would be dangerous enough for a Goron warrior that knows the ins and outs of this place. But you, someone who could be seriously injured - _or worse -_ by the smallest misstep, have no business being here!”

“You worry too much,” Link responded with a dismissive wave of his hand before stretching. “Besides, I thought you were pretty into this saving the world thing?”

“It's my job to worry about you, Link. But besides that, I _am_ as on board with this as you. But you can't save the world if you're dead, you know.”

“I’m… pretty sure I already died though, technically.”

“ _Deader.”_

Navi’s clarification fell on deaf ears. Link had already turned his attention to focus on the pillar of rocks between himself and the platform beyond. He began to back up, finding himself wishing once again that he had mastered the ability to teleport already. But this was certainly not the place to practice. Despite his disagreement with Navi, he still had to admit that this place was indeed dangerous.

Sucking in one final breath, Link took one final step, steadying himself, then dashed forward, springing off the pier at the last possible second.

He soared through the air, one leg outstretched. His eyes remained firmly glued to the platform in front of him. He landed with relative grace, taking a couple small steps at the end of his jump to slow down his momentum, coming only inches from the edge.

The stone column was not horribly small - giving him about enough space that he could take two bounds - but it was not really enough space to give him a running start either. And the next gap was just as wide.

Link turned and stepped till he was almost at the furthest point and turned, the heel of his boots almost parallel with the edge. One breath to steady his nerves, then he dashed again picking up as much speed as he could before springing off, arms outstretched.

This time, his momentum was not quite enough to carry him all the way across. He slammed into the side with a heavy “oomph,” arms and upper torso grabbing hold of safety, but legs scrambling against the rough, jagged side in an attempt to find footing and push himself to safety. For one horribly long second, he felt himself slipping. Then finally, one boot found stable enough footing, then the other. With one last push of strength, he pushed up off the foothold and dragged himself up onto the platform, flopping onto his back once he was safe.

Breaths came ragged for a moment as the moment of fear subsided. Too close. Too close to becoming a living torch. His momentary rest did not last long, however. As he became aware of an odd whirring noise nearby. Slowly, Link rolled onto his side and pushed himself to his knees, eyes darting around.

In the center of the platform was a round… almost egg-shaped… thing. It sat on two legs, and a round orb rotated at the top. More disturbing, however, were the nose and mouth shapes jutting out of its ovular body. As the orb continued to rotate, a single eye came into view.

The eye came to a stop, staring directly at Link.

“Link MOVE!”

Link began to run to the side, instinctively reaching for his sword and smaller shield. Where he stood just seconds before, the monster shot a white, sizzling hot beam out.

But the beam did not stop. Instead, the creature began to turn its gaze towards Link, the beam following suit.

“Your sword and shield won’t do any good against this guy!” Navi called out in alarm, flying ahead of Link towards a new rock pillar. “Here, this way!”

Link ran to the side, sharply changing directions. He had only seconds to judge the distance before he made his jump, this time landing on his butt to slow his momentum enough to keep him from toppling over the edge.

The sizzling behind him stopped.

“That was a beamos,” Navi explained as Link caught his breath on the small pillar of safety. “They cannot see very far, but their beam will home in on you if you get too close. They must have been set up here to deter intruders. Sorry I didn’t see it sooner.”

“‘S’okay,” Link managed to respond between gasps as he desperately tried to catch his breath. After a second, he took a moment to take a swig of water out of his canteen, choosing to remain on the small bit of safety until he felt his nerves return to normal. Only then did he prepare himself for the next jump. This time, he made sure to spy out footholds before he sprang, climbing to the other side with relative ease.

He began to walk again, turning right to make his way down the ledge he stood on. At the far end a dark tunnel branched off from the room, no light in sight. Navi flew just barely ahead, lighting a path for the skull kid. Link followed shortly behind, brushing his right hand against the wall as a guide. As they moved further and further away from the cavern, the air began to cool slightly, though it was still just as dry as before.

Link took another large gulp of water as he walked and attempted to fan himself to cool off with limited success. Yes, he was indeed cooler than he had been in the first room, but it was still far hotter than would be comfortable.

As he made his way through the tunnel in relative silence, more than once he found a branching path that lead to a single room, only to turn and lead back into the tunnel. Likely, this was a hot mining area for the Gorons, given the multiple dead ends and occasional equipment he found lying around, none of it useful for him.

“Are you okay?” Navi asked when he took another sip of water as they returned from one such dead end.

“Just a little thirsty,” he responded. “I don’t know how Gorons can stand the heat here.”

“Because they’ve adapted to survive the heat,” Navi responded. “They can survive in environments like this. If they went elsewhere, they wouldn’t do so well. Imagine a Goron trying to live in a lake. Or even…” She paused, considering.

“Okay, so you know how you and other skull kids are really good at sneaking and hiding, especially in the forest. In dense woods, no one would ever be able to find you if you didn’t want them to, right? The same goes for Kokiri.”

“...Yeah?”

“Now, imagine a Goron trying to do the same. Imagine, for a moment, a Goron trying to live in the forest. Sure, they could be safe from things like wolfos, but they wouldn’t be able to hide from bigger threats. And food? They’d be hard-pressed to find a steady supply.”

“Uh...huh?”

“Now, here you are doing the same. You’ve come into an area that Gorons are built for - hot and filled with lava, things they’ve adapted themselves against. But you? You’re putting yourself in danger by being here.”

“...And?”

“And what I’m saying, Link, is that they never should have asked someone that’s not suited to this kind of environment, an environment that works directly against them, to come in and solve all their problems.”

“But they did,” Link responded with a shrug. “And I said I would do it so I’m going to do it.”

Navi let out an exasperated sigh. “Please Link,” she pleaded. “ _Please_ listen to me. You could get yourself hurt or killed! This is different from the Deku Tree. Yes, we need that stone. Yes, they said to do this, but there has to be another way. If we just went back and talked to Darunia-”

“I said I’m DOING THIS!”

Navi fell silent as the skull kid angrily whipped around to face her, hands clenched.

“Don’t treat me like a little kid-”

“Link,” she cut him off gently. “You _are_ a little kid.”

“I can take care of myself!” He argued. “I’m not some helpless Kokiri- I got along just fine this long without a fairy. Watch me, I’m going to get through here, with or _without_ your help.”

With a curt nod of his head, Link spun back around and continued down the path, stewing in silence. Leaving Navi to droop before rushing to catch up.

Again, the pair continued on in silence for some time, Link now leading the way despite his limited vision. After what felt like hours, but likely was not much more than one, he came to the end of the tunnel. As he turned to his left, he could just barely make out the outline of a huge, metal door to his left.

“Huh,” he mumbled as he approached, climbing up iron steps to reach it. There was no way he could open it by himself. Was it even meant to be opened that way? As he looked it over, another object to the side caught his attention. Built into the floor was a large lever, just next to the door.

He approached, grabbing hold of the oddly carved handle, and began to pull with all his might, boots slipping and scraping on the dirt floor. For some time, it seemed like it would not move. But finally, with a creek, it gave way, snapping over all at once and sending him tumbling to the ground.

Almost immediately the door opened, leading through a small tunnel with another door at the end. As he approached, he felt another noticeable rise in temperature.

This door, too, opened by lever. As soon as the pulled the lever down and the door slid open, he was hit with an intense blast of heat and the light of red-hot lava. For a moment, he honestly considered turning back. But his desire to complete what he started got the better of him, and he stepped into the room.

He was once again on a large, rock platform. Perhaps six feet or so below flowed lava, mostly still hot and fresh. More poured down from a fall above; where it might be coming from, he did not know.  A huge pillar of rock rose high above him, but he could not see the top from here.

Link began to make his way around the room, carefully avoiding the edges of his platform. It was separated from other platforms nearby, barely a jump away. As he continued to make his way around the pillar, another door. Upon reaching the final platform, he paused, rubbing his face.

“Are you okay?” Navi asked.

“Little dizzy,” he responded, nodding regardless.

“Link, I really think-”

“Don’t say it,” he responded sharply, cutting her off. “Look, we’re almost out of the room, see? we just got to-”

Link cut off when he heard a loud, angry cry from above. Suddenly, he watched as the lever to open the door in front of him seemed to move further to the side than it already was, metal bars slamming down in front. Before he had a chance to say anything, a monster - a lizard more than twice his size, donning limited armor, jumped from above.

A trap. Link scrambled back, watching the edge as best he could while keeping an eye on the lizard in front of him.

“A lizalfos!” Navi cried out. “Look out, it’s got a knife!”

Link scrambled to the side as the lizalfos sprang into the air, trying to bring the knife down on his head like one would typically use a sword. It whizzed through the air harmlessly as the lizalfos came down inches to his side. He spun around to try and strike at the lizard, managing to cut a shallow, thin slice into its side.

The lizalfos spun, facing Link. The knife swung overhead through the air once again.

“Duck!” Navi cried out.

Without really having time to think about it, Link crouched down. He felt force hit his back, and a metallic clang as the knife bounced harmlessly off the back of his shield. As he rose back up, he struck out, attempting to gut the angry lizard.

It sprang back at the last possible second, avoiding being skewered. This time, it rushed forward, charging knife first.

Link scrambled backwards, then, as he felt his feet hitting the edge of the stone, he spun and leapt as far as he could onto the next one, whipping back around as quickly as he could, swinging his sword blindly.

A metallic clang rang out. Link turned his head in time to see the creature’s knife fly through the air, falling into the pool of lava below. The lizalfos let out a startled cry. A small smile crept onto his face. He had the upper hand, this was his chance! He braced himself to thrust forward. At the same time, the lizalfos sucked in air…

“ _GET BACK!”_ Navi screamed, zipping against Link’s alarm.

With little time to react to Navi’s sudden dire warning, Link took a step back, throwing up his wooden shield. Almost immediately, he was met with a burst of flame knocking against the shield. He winced, bracing as flames licked around the edges, cinders threating to cling to his arm.

The flame attack began to die away… But unfortunately for the little hero, fire still remained. The shield! Crying out in alarm, he shook his arm until the shield came loose, flinging it across the room.

The lizard let out a delighted cry as it charged forward in hopes of overwhelming its prey.

“ _LINK!_ ”

He let out a startled cry, thrusting forward with both arms in a last-ditch effort to defend himself, flickering his vision away and waiting for claws to tear at his arms.

But they never came. Only a garbled cry came from the lizard.

Slowly, Link peeked an eye back. His attack had driven his sword deep into the lizalfos’ exposed stomach. Hesitantly, he brought a boot up to push the monster away, pulling his blade free. Blood poured from the wound as the lizard fell to the ground.

Link panted, watching for a moment as the lizard’s cries and movement became weaker. Then, unable to bear watching, he turned his back, continuing back to the door, sheathing his sword. Slowly he grabbed hold of the lever and began to pull again, tugging with all his might as he pulled it forward first to unlock, then to open. The door slid open, the cooler air beyond only barely a relief. But still a relief. Unwilling or unable to bear the heat any longer, he dashed through the door, turning to shut it behind him.

* * *

“Darunia!”

The Goron chief glanced up from the map on his table, his attention caught by the Goron that had entered his room.

“Gordo, my brother!” Darunia called out with a hearty wave. “How goes the excavation of the entrance?”

The two took a moment to share a hearty embrace. “We’ve cleared enough of the rocks and debris for a Goron to enter, big brother! Although we’re still stabilizing the entrance,” The Goron, Gordo, announced as he stepped away. “Briggs stepped inside to check out the damages that might have occurred. The entrance cavern is mostly clear of monsters but…”

“But?”

“But unfortunately, the bridge is out, and lava levels are up even in the main room by at least ten percent. We could probably at least get some workers over to the eastern mining sites if we set up some ramps up for jumping, but we have no clue what might be waiting beyond the entrance.”

Darunia gave the Goron a grim nod, considering their words carefully. “Still, it’s a start. I’ll take care of any infestation in the southern quarter myself, if I have to, as soon as I secure our sacred treasure. We need access to the mines back as soon as possible.” He paused. “... Any sign of that kid?”

“He definitely entered – Igne watched him enter – and there had been a second boulder just inside that was also destroyed. But he must have jumped across the ledges and continued on, we have no clue where he is.”

“Understood.” Darunia grew quiet for a moment as he turned back to the map on his table. A map of the caverns. He had been looking over the layout carefully, something weighing on his mind since he’d sent the skull kid off to Dodongo’s Cavern.

His fingers brushed over a particular room on the map, a room where lava poured freely from cracks in the cavern above. Gorons had no trouble in the lava. They could even safely walk in thin layers of it for a while. But there was a reason the mines were Goron territory. No other race could do that. Not zoras, not hylians, and certainly not…

...children made of wood.

His mind raced back to the Fairy’s protests. What was _wrong_ with him?

Slowly, he turned to the Goron in the room, who stood at attention, waiting for their dismissal.

“...Gordo, brother, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Yes, Big Brother?”

“I need you to have the men set up some rock ramps, like you were talking about earlier.”

“Of course.”

“I also need you to send a couple men to guard my room. I’ll be out for a while. Oh, and… fetch me my war hammer, please.”

* * *

Hands grabbed hold of the lever to tug it back once again, the door creaking closed behind him.

The new room was dark, but also significantly cooler. Link, knees weak, sank to the ground, hot and exhausted. Reaching for his canteen, he took another swig of water.

“Um… Link?” Navi spoke up after a moment, a nervous edge in her voice.

The skull kid’s eyes turned to the fairy quizzically.

“Link, oh my goddesses, your arm!”

Link tilted his head, staring blankly at the fairy. Until he heard the pop.

A sharp pain shot up the boy’s right arm. He whipped his head to the side. The bark on the outside had blackened, likely from the flames he had barely avoided. It sizzled as little bubbles of water boiled to the surface. But the worst was the smoke that still smoldered, as if it could burst into flame at any second in the heat. In alarm he cried out and shook his arm around, pouring the last of his water out on the worst spot. Only once it quit smoking did he let out a shaky breath.

Too close.

“Link, you need to _leave,”_ Navi insisted again. “Your body isn’t suited for this kind of environment. If you had stayed in there much longer, you would have burst into flames!”

“But I can’t just go back,” Link argued, shaking his head.

“But you _need_ to.”

“No, I mean, I have to keep going, because I can’t go back that way. What if I get locked in that lava room again? What if another lizard tries to ambush us?”

Navi considered it for a moment, then let out a sigh. “I suppose you’re right about that… but I don’t like it one bit. If we find a way out, you need to go leave, okay?”

Link said nothing in response, instead just standing up, stumbling slightly once he was on his feet.

“Link, are you okay?” Navi asked.

“...Just a little dizzy…” he responded, gaze down, before shaking his head to clear it and turning his attention to the fairy. “I’m fine. Come on, let’s get moving. Maybe it will be cooler further down?”

Navi seemed unconvinced but fluttered on behind the boy anyways.

These tunnels were far less structured than the ones he had entered before, more naturally carved out, with no wooden or metal structure for support. From somewhere nearby echoed the slightest drip drop of a trickle of water.

The duo carried on in near silence, Links tired, heavy footsteps resounding in the dark cavern. One hand kept a tight grip his blade. The other felt carefully along the wall as he trekked on in the near darkness for some time.

Until the sound of something shuffling somewhere behind him made him freeze. He stood still for some time expecting something to jump him. But when nothing happened, and noise eventually settled into nothing, he slowly began to walk again. His feet shuffled a few feet further before one caught on something in the darkness, sending Link tumbling to the ground with a startled yelp.

He laid still for a moment, considering stopping to rest. Before Navi’s cry of alarm made him scramble to his feet.

“Link! Get up! Run!”

He pushed himself back to his feet and whipped around to find Navi, finding her flying just behind him, face to face with a huge lizard creature staring the pair down. A huge lizard creature that looked none-so happy about being woken.

“What is that?” Link asked, beginning to reach for his sword.

“It’s a dodongo!” Navi cried back, zipping to thump against his chest to try and get him moving. “Don’t try to fight it, just go?”

“Why?”

Even as he asked, the creature began to breathe in. He took a couple stumbling steps backwards, then spun and stumbled off. The dodongo exhaled, and the floor he’d been standing in just a second prior erupted into a stream of fire. Link let out a cry of alarm and sped up.

Navi zipped ahead of him, lighting the way. When he looked back, he could see the beady eyes of the dodongo following behind him. Fortunately, it was much slower even than his exhausted form was.

He sprang over the form of another sleeping dodongo. Navi slowed to a stop a few dozen feet further ahead before zipping to the side, highlighting the form of a lever to open a door. Link wasted no time closing the last gap and grabbing hold, using every bit of strength he had to open the door, despite his injured arm’s protests. As soon as it was open enough to slip through, he zipped by, not waiting to see if he was pursued.

When he could no longer hear the sound of the monsters pursuing him, only then did he stop to breathe. Only to look up in dismay as he looked around and realized he was right back where he had started early in the afternoon. Slowly, he sank to the ground. All that he’d done today had been for nothing!

Navi flitted about as she looked around the room. “This… Well, that was a waste of time,” she sighed. “But… At least this will give us an opportunity to leave and go speak with Darunia again. Surely just opening the entrance up for them would be enough for him, right Link?”

“... Link?”

* * *

The brisk mountain air was eerily quiet as night fell. Unnaturally quiet. Perhaps an effect of the curse on the dodongo caverns. Or perhaps even the creatures that dwelled on the barren rocks sensed the tense atmosphere. Darunia shifted uneasily from foot to foot as other Gorons scurried about the cavern entrance in front of him, working to move and stabilize the debris and secure a safe opening. Others scurried about just inside, working to move the extra debris for use as makeshift ramps inside.

Oh, how he wanted to go barreling in immediately, and make sure the child was alright. But if he caused a collapse, it could trap both of them inside. And then it could take _hours_ to dig their way back out. And his people could be in danger if he were to be trapped for too long. No, the child may be brave, but he couldn’t risk his people’s survival to rush in like a hero. He would just need to wait a little longer.

Still, he couldn’t help but worry about the child. A child who had been willing to throw himself into danger for people he barely knew, even if he did have his own motives behind it.

“Big Brother Darunia,” one of the Gorons called out with a wave.

He Lumbered over to the worker. “Are we in the clear?”

The Goron averted his gaze. “... Yes… and no. The entrance is clear and stable, but the ramps aren’t ready within the main hall. We’re working to pat down the stone and earth, so it won’t shift and fall apart under our weight.”

Daruina was quiet for a moment, shifting his weight as he considered his options. And considered Link. Then he hoisted his great hammer over his shoulder as he began to make his way through the entrance.

“Time is of the essence. You said it should hold up for one leap? I’ll just make sure I make it the first time.”

He stopped near the edge of the metal bride, ignoring the slightly uncomfortable heat of the ground underneath his feet. Certainly, it was no danger to him or his people. But he was positive it was hotter than normal inside.

Time was of the essence.

He stepped back from the edge and took a moment to take in his surroundings. Near the back, he could make out the form of… something. But it certainly did not look like Link. He must have continued somewhere. But where…

A flicker of light caught his eye to the side. As he turned his head, he noticed a ball of light come darting from the northern portion of the room, making a beeline towards the entrance. As soon as it noticed him, however, it detoured towards him.

The boy’s fairy friend, he realized with a sinking feeling. Alone.

He turned to face the tiny creature as she flew forward. Too fast, not stopping in time and bouncing against him.

“Daruina!” She shouted breathlessly. “Oh thank the goddesses. Please you must help. _Please._ ”

Darunia held shifted his weight so that his hammer was in one hand, then offered a hand for her to rest on. “Slow down,” he instructed. “Tell me what happened.”

“It’s Link!” she started, ignoring the resting spot. “He- He got overwhelmed by the heat, I think. He collapsed and passed out and I- think he’s burned and I- I can’t do anything!”

Darunia frowned grimly, moving to place his war-hammer on the ground slowly. “Take me to him.”

Navi bobbed in agreement before zipping towards a ledge on the far side. Darunia paused, considering the best path of action. He could not leap across the gap to the ledge, and the bridge that would normally grant him passage was out. However, they _had_ set up the beginnings of the make shift ramp…

He took a few steps back, mentally considering his trajectory.

The fairy looped back around. “Hey, what are you doing! This is serious, you need to hurry!”

He led up a hand towards her. “Hush, little sister. I need to concentrate.”  Fists clenched, he took a deep breath before curling up into a tight ball, making sure to keep his limbs tucked in. Then he began to rock and build up momentum. Another deep breath as he reached deep inside of himself, focusing on the earthy magic that Gorons could learn with time and dedication. Then he charged, speeding towards the makeshift ramp as fast as he could muster. At the same time, he released the magic he had built up. As he neared the ramp, he reached a faster speed, spikes of rock, formed from magic, protruded from his body. He blazed up the ram and soared across the gap, crashing into the wall.

Navi hovered anxiously nearby as the Goron sat up and took a moment to brush himself off. No injuries. Good.

“Alright sis, just tell ol' Darunia where to go.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably one of the most challenging chapters I've written so far. For the sake of the story, I had to suspend disbelief and reality some. It's also been the most research-intensive chapter thus far, since I've had to take the time to look into the difference between how dry/aged wood burns vs fresh wood - which is the reason we're using as to why Link does not immediately burst into flame.
> 
> Currently, I estimate two chapters left in the Dodongo's cavern arc. The next one is about half written as of the time of posting. For more updates and information, be sure to check out windskull on tumblr.


	11. Skills Tested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Link gets a little help.

Everything felt numb and heavy. In some way, he was vaguely aware of being jostled. Words tried to cut through the fog, but only bits and pieces managed to seep through.

"....careful!...help..."

"Calm down...alive"

“But… Bad… He’s…”

Huh... that sounded like Navi, Link thought to himself. He tried to respond to the broken voice, and he thought he even managed to open his mouth. But the fog overcame him, and he fell unconscious once more.

* * *

When he woke the second time, the voices were clearer. Still, his head swam and yearned for relief.

"I've sent for the potion maker in Kakariko," the first voice said.

"Will that help?" An anxious second voice responded.

"...don't know... best..."

Link attempted unsuccessfully to move and groaned as darkness overtook him once more.

* * *

He became aware of the dull ache and throbbing numbness before he even opened his eyes. He was horribly uncomfortable. At first his jumbled thoughts could not make sense of it. Had he forgotten to fix up his leaf pile? Had Skully put rocks in his bed? He shifted uncomfortably, attempting to stretch his fingers, and became aware of how heavy his body felt, like a weight pressing down on him. Odd…

Then more of what he had been doing before began to crawl back. That's right, he was helping the princess... no, right now he was helping the Gorons. He had gone into that terrible, sweltering cavern… And then?

His eyes shot open.

As his vision came to, slowly focusing, he found himself in a cave. But not the red hot of caverns he had passed out in, but rather the cool earthy tone of the Goron village. His hands scraped along a rough, flat wooden surface below him. A table, probably. He was on his back, a scratchy hand-woven blanket covering him from the shoulders-down. His body ached as he attempted to raise an arm, feeling like the weight of the world pinned him down. Then he noticed wthe white gauze wrapped around his arm. In a couple spots a few faint splotches of orange peeked through.

That’s right, he had nearly caught fire… the fact that he had not must have been a miracle, considering the circumstances.

Slowly, he pushed and rolled himself to the side to get a better look at his surroundings. As far as he could gather, he was back in the room where he had spoken with Darunia previously. The room was now void of the Goron leader, however. In fact, he could not see any other occupants from his vantage point.

 

“What do you mean you can’t help him?”

He could hear people nearby though.

“Just that,” an unfamiliar voice responded with a huff. “I can administer a standard red potion when he wakes, but that’s the most potent thing I have that might work on your friend.”

“Darunia said you were a master potion brewer though,” the first voice - which Link now realized was Navi – responded tensely. “Surely you must have something else that can help?”

“I’m sorry, but my stronger potions are much more specific,” the woman grumbled. “I have potions and medicines that will help Hylians and Gorons, and even Zoras. But nothing for forest monsters. I don’t have _any_ specialty medicines that work on _any_ monsters.”

Link winced at the use of the word. Monster. Several times since he’d left the forest, the word had been used to describe him. And he had not really thought about how it affected him. On one hand, it technically was not wrong, was it? On the other, surely, he had more to him than a common brutish monster like a tektite or a deku baba. Was it really fair to group him with creatures like that? He was no different than a Kokiri!

Was he?

Agonizingly slowly, he began to push himself to a sitting position, wincing as he brushed his arm the wrong way and grunting with effort as he realized just how much weaker his right arm was at the moment.  He could not help but pause to take a look at his arm. The bark had been blackened, and even cracked apart in spots, a mostly-dried sappy, amber ooze closing off the wounds. He was fortunate; if it had completely burst into flame, he could have lost his entire arm. Or worse.

As soon as he was in a sitting position, he quickly slid off the table. Perhaps a little too quickly, as the world seemed to spin for a moment, forcing him to lean back and grab hold of the table again to steady himself. Once he was sure of his footing though, he began to make his way towards the exit, using the tables and wall as a means of support.

His exit was slowed to a halt, however, as he the sound of rock grinding against rock sounded from behind him. Hesitantly, he turned his head to look to the back of the room, just in time to see Darunia pull himself out from behind the Goron statue at the center before pushing it back into place with little effort. The Goron took a minute to dust his hands off before turning, eyes widening with shock as he realized that his guest was awake and on the move.

“Hey slow down fella!” The Goron called out. “You’re in no condition to be up and about yet!”

The Gorons’ outburst was cause enough for the two outside to return to the room, Navi rushing in first, flitting to Link’s side. The second person to enter was an elderly Hylian woman, her most distinguishing feature being her long, crooked nose.

Navi was the first to break the silence. "Link!" The fairy exclaimed. "Thank Farore you're alright! You've been out cold for almost two days!"

The light of Link's eyes squinted as he tilted his head in response to Navi.

"That's right," Darunia chimed in. "You passed out in the mines. We had to carry you back. And call for help when you didn't wake up." He gestured to the elderly lady standing by the doorway.

"We don't know if you were dehydrated or had a heatstroke, or something else entirely!" Navi butted back in with an anxious flutter. "No one knows how to treat you. So, all we could do is wait and hope that you woke up." She paused for a moment, starting to flutter towards Link, only to stop in her tracks as something occurred to her. "Oh, but you're awake now! We should give you one of those red potions. That should perk you up!"

The skull kid stared blankly at his fairy companion for a moment before the Hylian woman approached him. Her movement was slow and cautious, but methodical. He tensed, training his gaze on her hand as she reached into a bag at her hip, brandishing a glass bottle with a viscous red liquid inside. Slowly, carefully, she worked at the cork holding the liquid inside until it came loose with a pop. Then she held the bottle out to Link.

"Here," the woman grunted. "Drink. It's a red potion. It will make you feel better."

After gingerly shifting his weight to support himself with his injured arm, Link hesitantly reached out to take hold of the bottle with his good arm, taking a moment to slowly swirl it around and watch the red fluid jiggle; it was thicker than honey, but moved more freely than the sap inside him usually did. Then he brought it up to his mouth and tipped it until the potion began to drizzle into his mouth, almost gagging on the odd taste.

At first, nothing seemed different. Perhaps it did not work on skull kids after all? But as a moment passed, he began to feel a warm, tingling feeling spread through his body. Then his strength started to return, particularly in his burned arm.

A couple moments of silence passed as the trio gathered around Link expectantly. Until Navi finally spoke up.

“Well?” She asked quietly. “How do you feel?”

“Better,” The boy murmured, eyes darting to the floor. Sitting the bottle aside for the woman to retrieve, he took to looking around for his goods: his bag, the pilfered shield, and his sword.

“Ah right,” Daruina said. He moved to pick up a vase to the side of the table, pouring out a few rupees before passing them off to the old woman and sending her off with a wave.

“Thank you. If we need more, I’ll send someone down for it.”

 “Of course,” the woman responded with a grunt before disappearing out the doorway.

For a moment, Darunia was quiet, hand brought up to his chin in thought. But his contemplative state did not last for long.

“Briggs, brother, would you close the door?” He called out towards the room’s exit. “I need to have a word with the kid.

Link turned to watch as the stone door that just days ago had blocked his progress slid shut, leaving him alone in the room with Darunia and Navi. At the sound of a sigh, he turned back to see Darunia with his head down, rubbing his temples with two of his fingers.

Despite the Goron’s obvious exhaustion and frustration, Link had only one thing on his mind.

“Where is my stuff?” He asked bluntly.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Darunia responded with a wave of his free hand. “We got other things to discuss first.”

When the only response was the tilt of the skull kid’s head, and a curious jingle from Navi, the Goron leader let out a sigh and continued.

“First off, I want to thank you for what you've done for us Gorons. By clearing a path out to the eastern tunnels of our mines, you've given us a temporary reprieve from our starvation.

“...But I also need to apologize to you.”

“You never should have gone in there, Link!” Navi interjected. “You could have died! Easily!”

Link winced in response before shaking his head. Navi's statement indeed rang true. And yet...

Before he could argue, however, Darunia chimed in. "The fairy has a point. I should not have sent you in there, kid." He let out a long breath, shaking his head. "Tonight, I'm doing what I should have in the first place: taking care of it myself."

Link stared blankly at the Goron for a moment before turning his gaze to do the same to Navi. "But... we need that stone. I said I would do it."

"And I appreciate your courage!" Darunia exclaimed quickly and perhaps a little too cheerfully. "But even so, you're in no condition to go back in there. Stay here, rest. If all goes well, I will give you the stone when I return."

Link gave the Goron a skeptical look. That seemed... too good to be true. He opened his mouth to say something, but Navi spoke up first.

"That sounds very reasonable, thank you." She dipped in the air as a sign of agreement before turning to Link. "Link, you should say thank you to Darunia."

Link did not say thank you. "But... I promised that I would help," he responded indignantly.

"Link!" Navi snapped in an exasperated tone. "You! Almost! Died! Do you _want_ to go back in there?"

Link sucked in a breath. "Not really, but I don't want to break my promise either."

"Then just let Darunia-"

_"-really not let a diplomat inside?!"_

Navi cut off at the sounds of confrontation just outside.

"Big Brother is busy right now, you'll just have to wait your turn."

"Tell that lumbering- ngh. Tell your leader that we need to speak. _Immediately._ "

The door began to slide open, just enough for a Goron to stick his head in from the other side.

"Big brother!” The goron hissed in a tense tone, his fingers clenching around the edge of the door. “The Gerudo man is back!"

Darunia frowned and gave his head a shake. "Tell him I'll be right out."

The door was slid shut again.

"Kid, you need to stay in here. I need to go have an... adult conversation. We'll talk when I'm done."

"But-"

"Whatever you do," he continued in a quieter, but firm voice, "Do not let him see that stone. If he realizes that you have it, or that you came here for ours, he might do something to you. He might kill you or kidnap you. Do you understand?"

Link continued to stare stubbornly for a moment, before finally relenting and lowering his head with a frown and a frustrated sigh.

Satisfied, Darunia gave the boy a curt nod before passing, slipping out the stone door before closing it behind him, leaving it only a crack open - not nearly enough for the skull kid to sneak out. “Sorry!” He could hear the Goron call out. “I had gone to our temple in prayer for guidance from the goddesses.”

Link was still for a moment as Navi flitted in to rest under his hat. Outside, he could hear Darunia giving orders to another Goron.

A mischievous smirk flickered onto Links face. He darted over to the door, just out of line of anyone's sight. But just close enough that he could make out what the voices on the other side were saying.

“Darunia.” The stranger’s voice was deep and suggested hints of frustration.

“Dragmire.” Darunia’s response was flat, unamused.

“Please, you can refer to me by my first name. Are we not allies?”

“....We are both allies of Hyrule, Gannondorf. Perhaps we would be closer if you gave our people a reason to be.”

“I see you and your people finally cleared out that boulder from your mines.”

“We have.”

“But have you cleared the monsters that have come out from the depths.”

A moment of hesitance. “Not yet.”

“Then why not let me do that for you. After all, it would be a shame if our allies down the mountain were to meet with a terrible fate should the monsters their way out. All I require as payment is your spiritual stone.”

“ _Our_ spiritual stone is an heirloom, a gift passed down by the goddesses. A sign of trust and favor from Din herself.  It’s not something to just be given away or traded.”

“Of course, of course. But it’s not fair to ask for a favor so big for nothing.”

“We never asked for your assistance.”

The Gerudo grumbled something under his breath that Link could not make out before speaking louder. “That pride of yours could get you in trouble someday, you know.”

“Let me worry about my pride, what help I accept is none of your business, Dragmire. Now if you’ll excuse me. I am busy figuring out how to ration our latest yield from the mines.”

“You’ll regret this,” Ganondorf warned. “You’ll regret not accepting my help when you had the chance.”

Darunia did not respond. From the sound of retreating footsteps and frustrated grumbling, Link assumed that the Gerudo had left. For now, at least.

A few minutes of tense silence passed with Link remaining in his spot beside the door. But when the rock suddenly began to shift and move, he scrambled back to his place by the tables, attempting to act nonchalant.

Darunia appeared more frazzled as he reentered the room, rubbing his temple with a long, exasperated sigh.

“Sorry about that kid,” he started with a shake of his head. “Where were we?”

“We need to go back into the cavern.”

Darunia shook his head. “Right… Wait, no that’s not right! _I_ need to go to the cavern. You don’t need to go back in there at all. This is my people’s responsibility. You need rest.”

“Of course,” Navi added, bobbing in place. “We thank you for your hospitality, Darunia.”

“Wait,” Link protested, reaching an arm out. “But-”

“Just focus on recovering your strength. I’ll hopefully be back by morning.”

“Link, let’s take this chance while we can-” Navi started to say, but she was cut as Link slammed his foot down in a single, sharp stomp.

“Stop making decisions for me!”

For a moment, the room grew eerily silent. Both Daruinia and Navi stared at Link for a moment, shocked.

Navi was the first to break the silence. “Link,” she started gently. “We just want to make sure you stay safe. Darunia says that the caverns only get more perilous the deeper you go. If we had trouble this deep, then we have no business going any deeper. Besides, you’re recovering from a burn injury and heat stroke. Just… take this chance to get some rest before we move on, alright?”

“It’s not alright!” Link snapped. “I told you, I’m not some helpless Kokiri - I can take care of myself!” Spinning around on one foot, he began to march towards the door. “Where’s my stuff? If you don’t want to help me, I’ll just have to keep going on my own.”

“Link-” Navi started, but Darunia cut both her and her charge off.

“Now hold on just a minute you two.”

Link paused half-way out the door, eying the Goron skeptically.

Darunia let out a long breath, choosing his words carefully. “I can’t let you just go back in there after what already happened. At least... Not like this.” When the skull kid tilted his head, Darunia slowly continued. “We… have something we sell to let Hylians survive in hot conditions that would usually kill them - it’s a garb they usually use to travel into the temple we guard. If you’re really set on helping… we can see about getting a set adjusted to fit you.

“However!” He continued, holding up an open hand before Link could say anything. “I do have a condition for this. Obviously, you’re not in the best shape, and a red potion only heals so much.” He began to make his way over to Link. “Back a little way outside our city, there’s a cliff that you could should be able to find. From there, there’s a path further up the mountain that leads to a fairy fountain. If you can reach the fountain in your current condition and return by sundown, I will take you with me into the caverns. But if you can’t make it, or if you don’t make it back here in time, then I will have to go on without you. With Dragmire skulking around, time is of the essence.”

The Goron, now in front of the skull kid, stooped down and offered out a hand. “So, do we have a deal?”

Link stared at the hand offered out to him for a moment. On one hand, it could just be a way to keep him busy. On the other…

With a determined look in his eye, Link reached out, letting his hand be encased in Darunia’s hand shake.

“Glad we could make an agreement,” Darunia exclaimed with a hearty laugh. “Now go gather your things and stop by the shop on your way out. I look forward to seeing you tonight!”

Link gave him an excited nod before dashing off, leaving an exasperated Navi to trail behind.

“I _still_ don’t think this is a good idea. I hope we don’t regret this…”

* * *

A quick detour to pick up his equipment and a stop by the shop to be sized for a tunic later, Link was back outside, heading back down the mountain path with sure of himself gait. This time, the sun was bright overhead, casting early afternoon light. He went over the plan in his head. Head back to scale the cliff by the wooden pole, follow the path up to the fairy fountain. Bring back proof of his trip by sundown.

Silently, he considered his options. He could bring back water from the fountain, but technically he could get that anywhere – unless the water has special properties. He could try to bring back a fairy, but he had no place to keep hold of one, and catching a fairy with his bare hands is easier said than done. Plus, if he kept it in his hands, he wouldn’t have a way to climb back down. Perhaps he could convince it to stay in his bag for a little bit?

Navi fluttered out of his hat, shaking him out of his thoughts.

“There it is.”

Link looked up, noticing the scrap of fabric flying from a pole ahead. The trip this far had been fortunately uneventful; no monster ambushes had slowed his trip so far. He took off at a light jog, ignoring the slight pain of his jostled scrapes and bruises.

* * *

It was less a cliff, and more a sheer rockface dotted with smaller cliffs. Link immediately got to work climbing, jumping from cliff to cliff, making sure he judged his leaps carefully.

The top was just a little out of Link’s reach, a little taller than he could stretch. To give himself the best chance, he took a moment to remove his oversized shield, tossing it over the top. Then, taking a few steps back, he sprang up, grabbing hold of the edge. His feet scrabbled against the side, trying to find a hold, while his injured arm screamed in protest. For a second, he thought he might not be able to keep his grip. But then his feet found a hold, and he scrambled up over the top, panting.

After a few seconds of recovery, he scooted away from the edge before standing up and pulling his shield back onto his back. Then he finally began his trip back up the path.

The ground around here was uneven, small holes and indentations spattered around the path, as well as a few moderately sized rocks and boulders here and there. The path forward dipped at first before heading up at a slight angle. Fortunately, falling to his death was not much of a worry, as both sides of the path were walled by dirt and stone. In the distance, he could see another wall at the end of the path, small cliffs jutting off in places.

Link groaned and began to make his way up the road, taking care to avoid holes and do his best not to trip on the uneven ground. For a while, he and Navi traveled in silence.

But the peace could not last forever. As they neared the half-way point, Link was brought to a stop as the ground seemed to rumble and shift below him.

“An… Earthquake?” Navi mumbled at first to herself as she flit around, until her attention was caught by smoke rising out of the top of the mountain. “No… It’s going to blow now?”

The rumbling seemed to stop as soon as it started. Navi let out a sigh of relief before ducking under Link’s hat. No, not yet.

“Keep going,” she instructed the boy. Once he had begun to make his way up the path again, she continued. “Listen, Link. Death mountain is actually a volcano.”

“Volcano?”

“Sometimes, it spews rocks and Lava from the top. It seems like it Might erupt soon. We need to try to finish here before it does, because it could get dangerous around here.”

“It was already dangerous though,” he pointed out.

“I know but… just trust me, you don’t want to get hit by a flying rock.”

Link responded with a grunt as he carefully stepped around a particularly deep crater in the path, continuing a few feet further before more rumbling forced him to have to stop and brace himself. More smoke was spewing out of the mountain top now. As soon as the tremors subsided, he continued with haste in his step.

The third tremor was the worst. He had nearly reached the cliff face by now, and could make out more details. Small ledges had been cut into the cliff face to give any would-be climbers a reasonable way up. But before he had a chance to close the gap, strong tremors made him lose his footing, sliding into a crater in the ground.

He looked up in alarm as the sound of an explosion rang out above, just in time to see a rock come whizzing by and hit the ground not far off. With a frightened cry, he sprang to his feet and scrambled out of the crater before taking off for shelter at the end of the path as fast as he could on the uneven ground. Sidled up against the rock face, he watched for a moment as several more rocks sailed by. Only when the coast appeared to be clear did he step out with a sigh of relief.

The sun had already started to dip in the sky. He had maybe a couple hours now before dark. With dismay, he realized it was unlikely he would make it as it was. But he could not turn back now, not when he was so close. After a moment to take a drink of water and asses his options he began his ascent, carefully grabbing hold of a ledge before lifting a foot and pulling himself up. Another ledge grabbed with his bad hand. He winced as he pulled up with his weight focused on that hand, sucking in a pained breath.

And so began his agonizingly slow ascent, shifting to climb as fast as possible when his weight was focused on his other limbs and carefully dragging himself up when he used his injured one. All the while, the sun continued its journey towards the horizon.

The sky was tinted orange by the time he dragged himself over the top. He laid still for a moment, until Navi poked out from his hat to check on him. Then he crawled away from the edge before standing up to take the view in. From here, he could see all the way down the mountain to Kakariko. And beyond the tree line, he could see Hyrule field beyond. Even the castle was a visible dot in the distance. He wondered what Zelda was up to now, and if she was as busy at work saving the world as he was.

But now was not the time to stand around staring, even if the sight was breathtaking. No, he had more important things to deal with. He turned his back on the view of the small bit of world he had explored and turned his attention to where he was now.

There were two entrances in front of him. Or at least, there appeared to be two. But the second one had suffered from a rockslide recently, from the look of things. Rocks of various sizes blocked the entrance, leaving only a thin crack at the top for air to pass through. Sat between the two was a sign, pointing towards the open entrance.

Link quickly nodded to himself before beginning to make his way towards the open entrance. But as he stepped into the shadow, Navi darted in front of him to stop him.

“Link wait, I don’t think this is the right way.” When Link tilted his head in response, she continued. “The sign back there says that this path leads into the mountain’s crater. I don’t think the fairy would make her home there, and it’s not safe for you to enter.”

Link paused for a moment before taking a few steps back. She was right; going into the crater would probably just lead to the same issues that he was already having. But what if she _was_ in there?

The sound of wings beating sounded behind, followed by something landing hard. Link turned to check the commotion, finding a bird had landed outside. A familiar bird, in fact. The same bird that had appeared to him back when he had left the forest.

“Kay… Kaepora Gaebora, right?” Navi started. The bird bobbed its head in response. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to congratulate you,” the bird started. “You've done well to come all the way up here. This is the summit of the sacred Death Mountain! It is said that the clouds surrounding this peak reflect the condition of Death Mountain. When they look normal, it is at peace.”

The bird paused while link took a look up at the sky. The clouds seemed relatively normal, as far as he knew, other than the smoke still billowing out from almost just above them.

“That can’t be all you were here for,” Navi protested.

“How keen of you, my fairy friend,” the bird responded with a ruffle of his feathers. “If I’m not mistaken, you two came up here to meet with the great fairy, did you not?”

Link nodded slowly. “How did you know?”

“Oh, it just made sense, my boy. After all, the only places here are the fairy fountain, and the entrance to the crater. I came because I want to see you make another smart move…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Navi questioned.

“The Great Fairy lives that lives on this mountaintop should be able to grant you a new skill, or at least some sort of gift. But you may have noticed that the entrance is a bit hard to get into, hoo hoo! She is adamant that her visitors find their own way to reach her. I want to see what you do.”

Link looked back to the blocked entrance with dismay. There were no bomb flowers around here to help him clear the way. And the small opening at the top was not nearly big enough for him to slip through. And if he tried to move the rocks, it could take too long, and then he would not make it back in time to leave with Darunia.

He could give up and return now. If he timed it right, he could possibly sneak in after Darunia had already entered. But then he would not have the tunic to protect him. Or he could attempt to get into the fountain, but even if he did manage to enter, it was unlikely he would do so in time.

He turned his back on the cliff. There was only one way he might be able to succeed.

He took a running leap at the pile of rocks, scrambling his way to the top. Once he felt steady enough on the top, he took to picking up or pushing the moderate sized rocks, throwing them down the pile. At the moment, the gap at the top was big enough that he could stick his arm all the way through, waving it in the empty air inside. A good twenty minutes of lifting and heaving more than doubled the gap, where he could almost fit his head through. He took a moment to catch his breath before going to work on a particularly large rock in his way.

With his shield sat aside and his back braced against the wall, Link began to push against it with his feet with as much strength as he could muster. The stone rocked precariously for a moment. But finally, the stone dislodged, rolling down the pile, sending pebbles tumbling down after it. Link, no longer held up between the two surfaces, fell with a startled cry, skidding halfway down the pile himself.

After only a second to groan and catch his breath, Link sat up before turning to look towards the hole.

“That should be enough,” Navi mumbled, poking out from his hat.

Link gave a nod of agreement before crawling over to the entrance, afraid of slipping and falling down the pile. He sat down with legs dangling in the hole, took one last glance at the sun - now having begun to dip below the horizon, and slid down through the hole and into the room beyond.

The room was brighter than he would have expected. Though the entrance was dimly lit, the fountain at the end of the hall shone bright. A path of marble had been laid out, leading up to the fountain with water pooling on either side. Water flowed from somewhere above around the edges, filling the fountain and shallow pools on either side of the path before draining somewhere. On either side rose two short pillars, flame crackling at the top. Behind the waterfalls, light twinkled from glowing stones embedded into the walls around the fountain, giving the illusion of a starry sky.

Link slowly made his way up to the fountain, struck by its beauty. Navi, too, flew out from her resting place to admire the fountains pristine condition.

“This is so much nicer than the fountain back in the woods,” she whispered breathlessly.

But despite the beauty, something seemed like it was missing. Something very important.

“But… where’s the Great Fairy?”

Link came to a stop at the water’s edge. Navi made a good point. Not only was the Great Fairy missing, but there were no fairies at all as far as he could see!

“Could something have happened to her?” Link asked.

“There’s no way!” Navi exclaimed. “The Great Fairies are some of the strongest beings left in this world, second only to the Guardian Spirits. Nothing should be able to defeat them!”

“Ganondorf was able to kill the Deku Tree,” Link pointed out with a sinking feeling.

The two stared at the pool with dismay. Were they really too late? Had they come this far only to fail?

“Well,” Navi finally mumbled. “We could at least take some of the water back and see if that would be proof enough. If you’re really sure about this.”

Link mumbled an agreement before reaching to the side for his flask. As he looked down, however, something caught his eye in the flickering firelight. Something golden under his feet. He paused and took a few steps back to look at it curiously. Overlaid on the tiles was a design in gold. A square outline lined the edge. And in the middle…

“The… Triforce?” Link murmured.

Navi turned to take a closer look. “Hey, isn’t this like the one we saw in Kakariko?”

Link suddenly perked up. It was! And if that was the case, then maybe…

He swapped the flask, replacing it with his ocarina. One note of practice, and then he played Zelda’s Lullaby once again, letting the notes ring crisp and clear with an air of confidence.

As the song came to an end, echoing in the chamber, nothing seemed to happen at first. Link let out a sigh and returned the ocarina to his bag, starting to turn away.

Until feminine laughter from behind him made him turn back.

He stared at the water as started to bubble, until a single fairy burst from the water. At first, nothing seemed different. Then the fairy started to grow rapidly. A flash of light made Link shield his eyes.

As the light faded, he brought his arm down, mouth hanging open in a surprised gasp at the fairy that appeared before him.

The first thing he took note of were the three pigtails of bright pink hair, vines and flowers woven into the locks. Her body was clothed mostly by vines and leaves, woven and wrapping around her chest, torso, and upper legs. Her look was completed by brown stockings that rose to just over her knee.

The woman turned to float lazily in the air on her side.

“Welcome Link,” the woman started in an airy voice. “I am the Great Fairy of Power.”

“You… You know my name.”

The woman gave an airy laugh. “Of course, young one. We, the Great Fairies, are gifted with knowledge beyond the comprehension of mortals. I knew your name just as surely as I knew you would one day come, requesting my help.”

Link stared for a long moment. When he said nothing, the fairy continued.

“I would like to grant you a sword technique. Please, take off your shoes and step into the water.”

Link was quick to do as instructed, sitting his boots to the side before wading into the pool until he was almost knee-deep. As he watched, the water began to turn green, tendrils snaking out from where he stood before diffusing into the water. He let out an alarmed squeak.

“Do not fear,” the fairy said in a gentle, yet firm voice. “The water is responding to the latent magic inside you.” She turned so that she was floating as if laying on her belly, lowering her body to be almost eye-level with Link. “You have a great forest magic within you. And yet, you have never been able to tap into it, have you?”

Link shook his head slowly. The magic his kind should have been able to use had never come easy to him. More than once, he had tried to teleport, or fade into the forest. He had come close once even! But he had never succeeded.

The fairy hummed in thought, bringing her hands up to her chin. “I may be able to help with that.” She backed up for a moment, rubbing her hands together before blowing on them, a shower of powdery, sparkling dust fell onto Link.

“Receive it now!”

Link stared back up at the woman. Was… was that supposed to do something?

Then he felt it, like a little spark in his chest. He let out a gasp, bringing one hand up to grasp his tunic, feeling the rough barky texture beneath.

The fairy smiled faintly, reaching down to place a finger - nearly as big around as his palm - against his chest.

“I’ve ignited a spark of magic within you, young one. With it, you should have the potential to use my skill, and other magic for that matter. If you wish for help learning a skill, seek out my sisters. They may be able to help you unlock your potential.”

Link stared for a second, considering what she said. “What about my sword skill?” he asked blunty.

“Link,” Navi hissed, “Don’t be rude!”

The Great Fairy, however, seemed to find it funny. Laughing as she returned to her original position, she waved her hand nonchalantly. “Think of your blade as an extension of your arm. If you focus your magic into your arm, you can channel it into your blade, and strike those that would harm you with more power.”

Link slowly reached back to run his fingers along the hilt of his sword, considering her words. Would he really be able to do that?

While he silently considered his supposed new power, Navi remembered the reason they had arrived. “Wait, we still need proof that we came here!” She blurted out.

The Great Fariy tilted her head, smiling slightly. “Oh? I think I have something I can do for that. Hold out your injured arm.”

Link hesitated before lowering his good arm, and stretching out the injured one to the fairy.

The woman made quick work of removing the injured arm’s wrappings, taking care not to jostle it. For the first time, Link could see the extent of the damage. Much of the bark on his forearm had blackened, completely burned away in some spots. Amber sap had oozed out in some spots creating a sticky, but protective coat around the worst of his injury.

The woman took the arm in both hands, closing her eyes. A warm, gentle light formed between the two. Link watched as the injury was slowly replaced by fresh growth and the sap seemed to melt away, until his arm was just like he remembered.

The Great Fairy pulled away, returning to her resting position floating on her side.

“Link, what do you say?” Navi coaxed.

“Oh, thank you.”

“Of course, young one,” the fairy responded. “I will part ways with you now. But please remember, if battle ever makes you weary, you can always come back to see me.”

Link gave her a firm nod. With his affirmation, the woman rose into the air, laughing, before shrinking back down to the size of a regular fairy. Then she was gone in a bright flash of light.

For a moment, Link stood in the water, staring at where the Great Fairy had been a moment before. Then he turned and stepped out of the fountain, shaking droplets of water from his legs before slipping his boots on and heading back out the way he had come.

Navi darted ahead, flying out of the hole in front of Link. The skull kid scrambled up behind her, climbing up the rocks and squeezing through the gap he had made earlier.

“Oh no!” He heard the fairy exclaim.

As he popped out, he looked in Navi’s direction and realized with dismay that the sun had almost finished its trip below the horizon. He’d never make it back in time. He pulled himself up out of the hole, shoulders slumping as the realization hit him.

“Well…” Navi started slowly. “Look on the bright side? Sure, you won’t make it back in time, but you won’t have to put yourself in danger either. And you still will get the stone when Darunia returns.”

Link shot the fairy a frustrated look. This again? Why couldn’t she just choose a side? Preferably his!

He opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of ruffled feathers behind him caught his attention instead. He turned his head to see Kaepora Gaebora was still sitting on his perch, Link’s Hylian shield at his feet.

“Why are you still here?” He asked.

The bird did not answer his question. “It looks like you've grown a little from the Great Fairy's power…”

“I don’t think I can grow,” Link countered.

“Maybe not physically. But in character, in spirit, your encounter has changed you. But you still don't really look like the hero who will save Hyrule. At least not yet!”

“How do you know that we’re going to?” Navi questioned, having turned and landed on Link’s shoulder.

“Call it intuition, if you wish,” the bird answered cryptically. “Perhaps I’d like to help you. If you are going back down the mountain, I can lend you a wing.”

“You’ll… carry us down the mountain?” Navi asked, receiving a bobbing nod of the head from the bird.

“Actually, could you take us to the Goron City instead?”

“Of course I can!” The bird exclaimed. “Come here and grab my talons!”

Excited, Link raced forward to do as instructed, stopping to pick up his shield first. Maybe, if the pushed it, they might make it back after all.

“Hold on tight!”

* * *

The last slivers of sunlight were making their journey below the horizon, soon to be snuffed out by the darkness of night. At the entrance to the Goron City, Darunia stood waiting, watching for the boy’s return. His hammer stood in front of him, his hands resting on the end of the handle.

The task he had given him was not impossible, but was indeed unlikely. His people had something of an honor code for defending the weak. Something he had failed to do when his emotions got the better of him. If the skull kid managed to come back in time, then he had proven his strength and skills. But if he failed to make it in time, then he was doing the boy a favor by keeping him from entering the most dangerous parts of the caverns.

Was he really doing the right thing, he wondered, agreeing to give him their sacred stone? He could not be certain. He could be lying, working with the Gerudo man in an attempt to bring his people to ruin. But he saw the spark of honesty in the child’s eyes. And unlike Gannondorf, he had agreed to help first. No, he had chosen to trust him, and he would see that promise through.

As he looked back towards the last rays of light, a speck in the sky caught his eye. A speck that seemed to be growing bigger and bigger, until finally he could begin to make the details out.

The speck was a large bird, far bigger than any he had seen in the area. But the bird was not what really shocked him. Holding tight to the bird’s talons, dangling in the air, was Link. The boy seemed to be holding on for dear life as the bird began it’s descent, slowly circling lower and lower towards the ground at a slight angle. Until finally, they were right in front of Darunia. As soon as Link realized he was at ground level, he let go, landing on the rocks on his bottom with a wince. Once its rider was on the ground, the bird gave a hoot before climbing back into the air, flying back down towards the village at the mountain’s base.

Darunia looked down on the boy with a slight smile. Well, he certainly had found friends in high places to return in time. But had he succeeded on his mission none the less.

“I believe I asked you for proof of your journey, kid,” Darunia started without moving. “What can you show me?”

Link stared for a second, before Darunia’s words registered. As soon as he realized what was being asked, he proudly held up his previously injured arm, which looked almost as if it had never been burnt in the first place.

Darunia’s smile widened. There was only one thing he knew that Link could have done to heal that fast.

“Alright kid, I’m convinced. A promise is a promise. Let’s get you suited up.”

Lifting the war hammer up over his shoulder, Darunia turned and began to make his way back into the city. Link after dusting himself off, followed suit, leaving the darkness of night for the warm, inviting light of the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you might be wondering why I chose to have Link visit the Great Fairy in between, instead of after the end of the dungeon. In short, I had planned to break up the action of Dodongo's Cavern with a chapter like this already. But originally, he was just going to convince Darunia to let him go with his words, or else be so stubborn that he chases after him into the mines. But honestly, I felt like it did not make for a very interesting or long chapter. And I felt like Link needed to do something to prove himself- both for himself and for Darunia. And the fairy fountain made for the perfect opportunity. Plus, i got to up the stakes a tad by having Ganondorf show up and be a bit menacing, so win-win.
> 
> Like I said when I started this fic, this is not a word for word adaptation. Some events shift around to fit the way the narrative changes. This is a great example of that, and there's more of it to come.


	12. Through Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some creative liberties were taken in this chapter, explanations are in the end notes.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I’ve made up my mind, Navi. We’ve already been through this.”

As the two waited for Darunia to finish speaking with another Goron by the mine entrance, Link shifted his weight from side to side, tugging at the sleeves of the undershirt he had been given. The modified tunic had been made to cover as much of his body as possible: off-white undershirt and tights had been paired with the crimson tunic itself. He had also been given a cap to swap out with his own usual one, a pair of gloves to protect his hands, and even a new, better set of boots to replace the worn ones. His old ragged outfit had been tightly folded and placed in the bottom of his sack, leaving enough space for his slingshot, ammo, the fairy ocarina, and at least a day’s ration of food with just a bit of room to spare. His canteen had been strapped to his belt.

He took a moment to glance up at the rising moon, his mind wandering back to the forest. It had been almost two days now since he had last contacted his friends. Surely, they were getting worried for him. As much as he wanted to contact them, however, it would have to wait, as they were in a hurry now. Besides, Darunia had now finished whatever he had been speaking with the other Goron about and had made his way back over to the duo, hammer slung over his shoulder.

“My brothers in the mines spent the day setting up a shortcut so we can access the lower levels of the northern mines easier.”

“Darunia talked it over while you were getting dressed,” Navi started, turning her attention to her charge. “We came to the conclusion that the best way to tackle things is to take a path through the northern mines to clear out the main work area first so that the other Gorons can get to work, before heading into the depths to tackle whatever beast Ganon has conjured here.”

Link gave the Goron leader an affirming nod as he adjusted his bag and shield. He would not let himself screw up this second chance.

The trio made their way through the entrance, passing a group of Gorons taking a break on their way back into the main chamber. Compared to how the room had been when Link had passed through before, the chamber was now a flurry of activity. The beamos that he had ran from had been dealt with; only a pile of smashed bits and parts remained. Metal slabs had been placed between the rock pillars, creating a temporary way across until the more permanent bridge could be rebuilt. And on either side, dirt and rock ramps had been built up and patted down to make accessing either side of the mine easier.

Darunia led the way, taking a sharp left down a ramp around the entrance and up a second one in the direction Link had not taken before. Link made a wide berth of the hot coals lining most of the floor, in no rush to check the limits of his tunic.

The trio followed the cliff up to the far side of the room, stopping once to let a crew of workers carrying a crate of stone through along the way. Despite the difference in size, Link found that he had little trouble keeping up; whether it was because Gorons were not fast on their feet or if Darunia was slowing down for him, he did not know.

At the end of the walkway, Darunia stopped in front of a metal door. For a second, he paused outside, tapping his foot as he considered how to approach the area ahead. He drummed his fingers on the lever beside the door before finally speaking up. “Alright kid. In the next room, I want you to climb up the stairs and check the upper level. I’m going to check another room on the bottom floor, I’ll meet you at the top.”

Link gave the Goron a nod as the door slid open. As soon as it had raised high enough, he dashed in, ducking to get in without a second thought. Navi zipped in after him, calling out his name.

“Link, _please_ don’t just go rushing in like that! What if there are monsters inside? You could get hurt!”

Link gave the fairy a half-hearted shrug, a coy smile on his face. So what if there were enemies, he would just take them all out! As long as they didn’t breathe fire. Or explode. Or really anything else that might send him up in flames.

While Navi let out an exasperated sigh behind him and Darunia stepped into the room, Link finally grew more serious and took a good look at his surroundings. Surprisingly, he could see roots and vines hanging down from the walkway above him. The walls had been lined with iron fencing and pillars - supporting the walkway above - and several metal crates lined the corner of the room. If he had to guess, he’d figure that this was some sort of storage. Regardless, the most distinguishable feature happened to be the stairs.

The stairway up to second floor had been created from huge stone slabs, each carved with the same intricate design. What struck him as odd, however was how tall they were, even for a Goron. The steps came up almost to his neck. And considering he came almost up to Darunia’s chest, that had to make the blocks about half as tall as the Goron was! What was the point of such abnormally large stairs if even the Gorons would have trouble climbing them?

With the confused thoughts swirling in his mind, he began his ascent, reaching up to wrap his fingers around one of the indentations. Once secure, he lifted one leg over before pulling the rest of his body up onto the platform. Again. And again, a third time, and more until he finally reached the top of the stairs. From here, he took a glance around the upper level.

The upper level was even simpler than the lower one; only a single wood and metal walkway wrapped around the wall, no sort of guardrails protecting from falling to the level below. Link kept himself close to the wall as he began to work his way around.

“This seems really unsafe,” Navi mumbled. “But I suppose Gorons don’t have to worry as much about dying from a fall... Especially if they land on their back. I wonder-”

“Shh!”

Link held a hand up and waved it to silence the fairy as he slowed to a stop in the corner of the room. As Navi quieted herself, she quickly caught onto what Link was doing: listening to the skittering noise coming from up ahead.

Slowly, the skull kid began to inch forward, his hand reaching back for his sword at first. But as he grew closer it became apparent that the skittering was coming from somewhere above him, so he instead moved to retrieve his slingshot and a few deku seeds from his bag.

He came to a larger platform about half-way across the path, directly across from where he had ascended the stairs. Thin, dried roots and vines formed a curtain in front of him, stretching from the ceiling down to hang a bit below the walkway. And among these vines, he found the source of the skittering.

The skultulla was different from the ones he normally encountered back in the woods. Instead of the typical bone-white color, this one was a metallic gold, its exoskeleton glimmering in the light that he, Navi, and the dim torches  in the corners of the room gave off.

Slowly, silently, steady, he raised his slingshot readying a shot, and released.

The seeds struck the spider-like creature directly on the face, catching the creature’s attention. The skulltulla hissed and shrieked, turning around to focus all its eyes on the skull kid in front of it, who - after realizing how little his slingshot had done - fumbled for his sword.

He had expected the skulltulla to come down and rush at him, like many of the wall varieties did. But instead, it sprang from the vines, knocking him to the ground with a startled cry, his sword knocked away in the scuffle.

Link reached up to grab hold of the skulltullas abdomen, struggling to keep the monster away from his face as it struggled to push forward, fangs clicking menacingly. The skulltulla would push forward, inching closer to his face, and he’d push back, able to keep it away but unable to free himself. But slowly, the spider was winning.

In a panic, Link’s leg jerked, knocking a knee into the monster. Again, the monster shrieked.

“Link! Do that again!”

Link let out a gasp before kicking upward, hoping to hit it again. His blow connected to the underbelly. As the skulltulla was knocked backwards, it managed to bite into his glove, pulling it loose as it was knocked away.

Link wasted no time scrambling to his feet, head whipping back and forth in search of his sword. There, just a few feet away! He dove, sliding to a stop with the sword in his hand, and rolled, barely avoiding another attack from the skulltulla, who had thrown his glove to the side letting out a frustrated hiss. It turned before rushing again.

This time, however, Link was better prepared. As it rushed at him, he hopped to the side before spinning to strike the spider between the abdomen and thorax.

The bug screeched as the attack cut deep into its flesh, green blood oozing out around the blade, sputtering as the wrenched the sword free. The skulltulla tried to drag its nearly-bisected body forward, reaching up a leg to attempt striking the skull kid even as it grew weaker.

Link let out a relieved sigh, took a few steps back - out of the creature’s range - and turned his attention to the vines to their side, using them to wipe some of the blood off his blade. His gaze shifted to the side, the discarded glove catching his gaze. He moved to collect it as well. Surprising to Navi, he seemed shockingly undisturbed by the creature’s death. Much less than he had the lizalfos the other day, at least.

As the sounds of the struggling monster quieted, Link finally turned his attention back. The golden skulltulla’s remains laid crumpled in a small puddle of blood. Link cautiously inched towards the body, lightly poking at it with his boot. When it did not respond, he crouched down by the body, grabbed hold of one of the legs, placed one foot on the body, and tugged, ripping the leg free.

With his trophy obtained, the skull kid moved to sit down against the wall, waiting for Darunia to return.

Navi gave one last disgusted look at the bug’s remains. “Well, that was a waste of time,” she grumbled. “Don’t you think Li-”

She cut off as she turned back towards Link, just in time to see the skulltulla leg hanging halfway out of his mouth. The light in his eyes flickered.

The skull kid ripped a chunk free before giving Navi a sheepish grin, mouth half full. The fairy fluttered erratically for a second before letting out a frustrated huff and fluttering to settle down on the skull kid’s shoulder. Why couldn’t the hero be some nice normal Kokiri kid, that usually listened to her advice and did _not_ find ways to get into trouble?

“So, insects are your kind’s food of choice huh?”

Link’s eyes flickered up to see Darunia making his way around the corner of the room. He gave the Goron a shrug and responded in a quiet voice. “Insects, nuts, and wild plants. Anything you can find out in the forest.” He stuffed the remainder of his snack in his bag, before stretching and standing. He darted over to the arachnid’s and make quick work of removing the rest of the legs for later snacks as well.

Darunia approached as he busied himself, inspecting the spider’s body before stooping down to peel something from his abdomen’s exoskeleton, handing the item to Link once he finished his chore.

“Here kid, I believe this belongs to you.”

Link took the golden item and flipped it over in his hands. It had a skull-like appearance, complete with holes for the eye-sockets.

“What’s this for?”

“Just something I thought you might want to keep. The Hylians have a story that says that you should always take those skull shaped plates after killing one of these things as a sign of bravery.”

“Oh, I know that story,” Navi chimed in. “The Kokiri believe in it too. They even say that if you have enough of them, they’ll give you the power to break curses. I don’t know how true that is, but it never hurts to keep it, right?

Link gave a smiling nod before stuffing the token into one of his new tunic’s pockets.  His attention then turned to the hall behind them, and the iron door at the end.

Darunia led the way through the walkway, pausing to tug the lever by the door, and immediately raised his hammer defensively as they passed through. Link, too, grabbed hold of his sword, before a hand blocked him from progressing.

“Hold up kid; look up there.” Darunia tilted his head upwards. Link’s gaze traveled with it. The ceiling almost seemed to be held up by a large white structure embedded into it and the walls. Eight curved spikes spread out from the central cylinder, tapering almost half-way down the wall. But the odd structure was not what Darunia was referring to; he could see two off-white keese hanging from the white… thing.

“Fire keese,” Darunia muttered. “They’ll light up if we disturb them. You a sharp shooter kid?”

Link’s eyes darted between Darunia, his hand, and the keese hanging above them. But then his mouth twisted into a lopsided smirk. He quietly moved his hand to his bag, shifting items and skulltulla legs arounduntil he found his slingshot again. Wasting no time, he took hold of a handful of seeds, pulled back, and released with a sharp snap, hitting one of the bats.

The keese gave out a cry as it fell to the ground, unsuccessful in its attempts to right itself. The second one, now aware of the danger, took flight, flames rippling to light along its back. It flipped in air once before making a dive directly for Link. He winced and raised up the slingshot, planning to attack at the last second. But before he could, the keese was knocked out of the air by a heavy hit from Darunia’s hammer. It let out a shrill cry before hitting the ground hard and did not get up.

Link turned his ammo instead on the one he had shot first - which had by now managed to take flight. It screeched when one of the pellets ripped a hole in its wing and turned tail.

“Do you think that might have been a little unfair?” Navi asked. “They’re just bats.”

Darunia huffed as he returned his hammer to his shoulder. “Maybe if the kid wasn’t flamable.”

“I thought that’s what the tunic was for?!”

He waved a hand dismissively. “Of course it is, but I would think you of all people would want us to take things the safe way after last time. Keese are very territorial, you know.”

Navi hummed in thought before conceding and diving into her resting place under Link’s hat. His point was fair enough.

The point made, the trio continued through the room, leaving the wounded (and possibly dead) keese behind.

They continued on in silence through a walkway, Link darting ahead before turning back to wait for his companions, then doing it again a couple times more until they finally came out on a small cliff.

They had journeyed back into the main room yet again. But this time, they were high above the activity buzzing below. Gorons darted back and forth carrying crates. Some had been filled to the top, while others were totally empty. And a few were right in between. None had bothered to look up to see their leader and the skull kid watching them from above.

Darunia gave a satisfied nod after watching for a moment. His people would have food for a while, even if this trip were to end in failure.

He pointed to a cliff across the room, speaking quietly so as to not disturb the workers. “We keep heading forward for now. See that skull down there?” He turned to the other end of the room at a ninety degree angle to point at a jutting skull just visible in the room’s haze.

“We need to open it. And the only way to do that is to access the other bridge.”

Link turned his attention first to the skull, then to the bridge in front of it. Then to the bridge in front of them. It was… kind of flimsy looking, honestly; wood slats had been joined together by metal chains, suspended by the wall by more chains. There were no guard rails, and not enough space for even two people to walk side-by side.

“Goron’s don’t seem to worry about safety,” Navi mumbled.

“To be fair,” Darunia interjected. “We Gorons do not really have to worry about falling. A fall like that would be a few nasty scratches or maybe a burn at worst, if we fell in the coals.”

“Are you sure about this Darunia?”

“Not really. But we have no time to waste!”

Navi sighed in response before ducking back into Link’s hat, only to peek back out as she felt the skull kid cautiously move out onto the bridge. Still, she had the sense to stay quiet as he inched his way along, stealing cautionary glances at the ground far below between making sure his steps landed on the wooden slats.

He was about halfway across now, halfway to the safety of mostly-solid ground. Then the bridge rocked. He froze in place before slowly turning his head to look back to Darunia, who had taken a step onto the bridge, only to step back once he realized that the skull kid had stopped.

As soon as the swaying came to an end, Link darted along the rest of the bridge as quickly as he safely could. Darunia came along a moment later. The bridge rocking under him as he made his way along. His pace was in no way leisurely, but not rushed either. Just slow and steady. His footing was steady too, from years of experience in the mines.

A moment to rest and recover was given. But not a long one.

“C’mon,” The Goron said with a quick huff. “We would do well to keep moving. Ganondorf could come back at any time. I can’t risk my people’s lives should he return while we’re gone.”

With a curt nod, Link let out a breath and followed the Goron on further into the cavern.

* * *

For a while, the trio continued their expedition into the caverns with little incident. Their route took them into through a room dug into a pit, rock pillars and walls creating narrow, twisted walkways. Some spots were straightforward, while others twisted back in on themselves. Even with Darunia’s expertise, they still made a wrong turn once, leading to a tense backtrack as Darunia sped up their pace.

How long had they been down here already, with little to show? It could not have been more than an hour or two, could it? Out in the main chambers, the Gorons working would be keeping time by guards watching the sun, or perhaps an hourglass, or even one of the fancy clocks the hylians were so fond of. Most of the time, the Gorons worried little about keeping time, preferring to take life at a leisurely pace.

But work was an exception. And clearing their food source of monsters on a time limit was an exception. A few times, Link found himself having to run to keep up, much to his and Navi’s surprise.

Eventually though, the ladder out of the hole was found, the team climbing out and scrambling on through the dungeon with a sense of urgency.

The hall beyond opened into a small chamber, a rock walkway leading to the other side, with shallow ditches on either side. Although it sounded simple in theory, there was one significant issue that kept the trio from advancing. Or rather, kept Link from advancing.

At the center of the walkway, a ring of fire blocked the path, bursting up from vents in the stone.

“A defense mechanism, my friend,” Darunia explained. “We don’t have to use it often, but it’s meant to keep monsters that may have crawled up away from the main parts of the mine. Hold on, the shut-off’s on the other side.”

Link gave a nod to signify his understanding. Satisfied, the Goron took a moment to roll his shoulders, cracking his knuckles before dashing forward head-first, seemingly unaffected by the fire as he passed through it.

The skull kid was left to wait anxiously on the other side for a moment, nervously waiting for something to change. Then the sound of roaring flames died away; the fire itself died out shortly after. Link wasted no time darting across to catch up to Darunia, who stood at the end with a hand pressed against a switch.

At the end of the room, Link paused, noticing more of the white structures he had seen before. Navi poked out and, following his gaze, spoke up.

“What’s with that anyways?”

Darunia followed their gaze to the ceiling, moving his hand away from the switch. The flames started back soon after. “Oh, those?” Darunia asked. “You hadn’t noticed? Most of the Dodongo Caverns have been dug out around the remains of ancient Dodongos, from a time before the Hylians returned to the earth.”

“Re…turned to earth?”

The Goron raised a brow. “You don’t know the story? You seem to know so much Navi, I’m kind of surprised.”

“I only know what the Deku Tree chose to share with me, I’m afraid.”

“Well, that’s quite alright. I’ll tell you what I know.” He began to walk, motioning for the duo to follow. “According to our people’s legends, there was a time when Hylians did not rule the land. In fact, there were no Hylians in the whole world! They say they had disappeared centuries before.”

“Really?” Navi asked, entranced. “Well, was there any truth to it?”

“The story goes that a pair of Hylians descended from the heavens. One, a goddess incarnate, hoping to restore her people. The other, a young man destined to become a hero looking for his friend.” He paused for a second stopping in his tracks.

“What’s wrong?”

“You know, it’s an odd coincidence, kid,” he started with a shake of his head before continuing his gait. “If I remember our oral history correctly, you actually share a name with the hero of the story. Link.”

The skull kid paused for a minute, caught off guard, but shrugged and continued to follow behind.

“Anyways, after a long journey, and after the goddess and her chosen hero defeated a terrible, evil demon, they brought more Hylians down from their home, an island in the sky, and established the kingdom of Hyrule.”

“That’s… and interesting legend,” Navi responded after pondering it for a moment. “But not entirely farfetched. The Deku Tree once told me that some Hylians believe that the Kokiri are just young Hylians that were spirited away by other forest dwellers. There may be some truth to it. I mean, it’s not that outlandish to assume that some of the Kokiri may have been Hylians once upon a time, or that Hylians may have lived with the Kokiri at one time. But I find it hard to believe that they’re all Hylians. I think that the Hylians might just be afraid of what they don’t know.”

Darunia chuckled. “Your thoughts aren’t unfounded, my fairy friend. It sounds like the Kokiri have a lot of stories of their own. They should get really come out of the forest and tell their stories more.”

“Oh, that might not be so easy,” Nave responded. “The story goes that Kokiri will die if they leave the forest. But between you and me, I’m not so sure about that.”

The Goron shrugged. “That’s too bad. But maybe it’s for the better. I don’t know their history, after all.”

The trio began their walk again, continuing in silence for a moment as they passed through a long, empty hallway. Darunia was first to break the silence.

“What about you kid. Got any stories about your kind?”

“Oh, um…” Link found himself suddenly shyer than usual around the adult. “I actually… don’t spend a lot of time around the other skull kids usually. Just Skully.”

“Well,” Navi coaxed. “Has Skull Kid ever told you any stories?”

Link perked up a bit, “Oh, Skully has all sorts of stories.” A pause, his brow knit as he chose his words. “I don’t know if any of them are true.”

“That’s okay Link,” Navi chimed in. “That’s what’s so special about legends. They may or may not be true, but they make for a fun story to tell.”

“Yeah,” Darunia agreed. “Why not tell us one?”

“Well…” Link started, looking away, and then back for a moment before letting out a breath of air.

“Okay. I really don’t think this story is true but… Skully likes masks. He _really_ likes masks. One time, the Kokiri were making a play to celebrate the Deku Tree. One where they made their own painted masks, carved from the wood of fallen trees. Skully stole one of those masks, but Saria made him give it back, with the promise that he could have hers after the play.”

“Oh, I remember that play,” Navi chimed in. “And I remember the mask going missing. Mido was so upset that he turned red in the face. And Fado told him that it was a sign that the spirits of the Lost Woods were mad at him. So that was you guys that took it?”

“Well… Skull Kid took it, and he brought it to show me. And then he told me a story about humans, like the Hylians. About how somewhere out there, there was a group of humans that held a festival of masks, everyone bringing their own that they spent the year creating and perfecting.

“He claims that they think the masks will trick their goddess into thinking that the residents are all out working their fields until late into the night, so that she’ll let them have a bountiful harvest. But he says that it’s a load of hooey, and that their goddess is probably fake.”

“It… really isn’t nice to call someone’s goddess fake,” Navi sighed, before continuing. “I wonder where he even got that story? Hylians – let alone foreign humans – don’t come through the forest often. And many that do never make it back out. Besides that, the Deku Tree never told me anything about a festival like that.”

“I’ve never heard of any humans holding a festival of masks myself,” Darunia chimed in. “Still, it sounds like the kid has an active imagination. Why do you guys call him Skull Kid anyways? Isn’t that what you are, not your name?”

“Skully doesn’t remember his name,” Link responded. “And he never decided to give himself a new one. I just call him Skully.”

“Isn’t that a little weird though? Why would he just call himself Skull Kid? That would be like if my name was Goron.”

Link shrugged. “He’s been around for a long time. I guess it just stuck.”

“Fair enough I guess,” Navi mumbled.

As the trio finished rounding a corner, another door came into view. The group approached, Link nearly recoiling from the heat that radiated off of it.

Darunia paused at the lever by the door. “We’ll try to pass through here quickly. This is the upper level of our biggest magma flow chamber. It’s useful for farming fresh stone, but it would be best if we don’t spend long in there for… obvious reasons.”

Link gave him a nod of understanding, prompting Darunia to pull the lever.

The door groaned open with a blast of heat. Link winced at the blast of hot air, before his pride got the better of him. He clenched his fists and dashed into the room.

Rock platforms rose above the magma flowing below in this room, joined by metal platforms. Or at least, they looked like they used to, as a few still had them, but others had sharp, jagged metal edges on either side, and others had nothing entirely.

Darunia shut the door behind them, taking in the room’s damage with a frown. “I’ll have to send repair workers up here later. For now, we should-”

He was cut off by a shrill cry from above. The trio froze before all looking up at once. On the ceiling, hanging upside down and clinging to the rocks, were two lizalfos, each with their head tilted sideways, staring at the group below them.

Darunia stiffened, his grip on his war hammer tightening. Link slowly began to reach back for his sword, eyes watching the lizards cautiously.

“Whatever you do,” Darunia muttered under his breath to the skull kid, “don’t-KCH!”

Whatever advice Darunia was about to give, it was cut off as one of the lizalfos dropped from above, knocking him back against the wall. Rocks and pebbles rained down on the two from the impact.

Link’s attention was drawn to the attack. He didn’t have long to dwell on it, however. Navi called his name out of alarm, causing him to jump, but not in time to avoid being knocked to the ground by the second lizalfos, his sword clattering to a stop several feet away on the edge of the platform.

Jaws snapped dangerously close to his face as he panicked, trying unsuccessfully to knock the lizalfos pinning him down away. It drew back, maw opening wide as it sucked in a breath of air. He could almost swear he saw a glow emanating from the back of its throat.

For a second, he froze. The fire, he was going to burn. He was going to die here, and Saria and Skull Kid might never know what happened.

…

No, he could not give up now! Gritting his teeth, he struggled and shimmied and finally managed to wrench an arm free and swung blindly, slapping the lizalfos in the face.

The lizard recoiled, its fire breath going off in the wrong direction. The distraction gave him what he needed; he tensed, then kicked with both feet, the blow connecting with the lizalfos’ exposed belly. His attacked knocked the lizalfos away, if only for a moment. But it gave him enough time to scramble to his feet, springing out of the way as the lizard charged him again.

Taking his eyes off the monster for only a split second, Link glanced over to where his sword had been knocked to, and made a dash for it, the Lizalfos turning and charging behind him.

He reached down as he ran, hands connecting with the hilt, the lizalfos gaining by the second. Sword now in hand, he jumped to the next platform before turning on his heel, raising the sword up just in time to defend as the lizalfos sprang, bringing a knife down on his blade. The force of the blow knocked Link off balance, and for a terrifying second, he feared that he was going to fall back, possibly into the lava.

The lizalfos lashed out again. Link ducked, barely avoiding the swipe. Then he sprang backwards a few inches, standing tall before springing forward again with a thrust of the blade.

His blow connected, a thin, shallow puncture wound on the lizalfos’ stomach. It let out an unholy, angry screech before sucking in air again.

Link let out a cry of alarm and turned, jumping to the next platform as a burst of flames licked at where he had been standing a second ago.

He whipped around, glancing nervously at the lizalfos. The monster, realizing it had found a weakness, spat another burst of flame. Link turned and ducked behind his shield, waiting for the flames to stop. Hoping they would stop.

Across the room, he caught a glimpse of Darunia locked in battle as well. His lizalfos seemed worse for wear but was still standing. It would dash in, trying to strike at the Goron’s softer, exposed belly. Darunia would raise his hammer with both hands, using the handle to knock the lizalfos back, and then try to swing back. But his movements were slower than the lizard, and it managed to dance out of the way before he could connect. So far, he had managed to protect his stomach, but several shallow cuts and scrapes lined his arms, blood slowly oozing.

Were they losing?

As soon as the flames stopped, Link sprang to his feet. The lizalfos was still on the other platform, content to attempt to blast him from its location. He had to try and stop it before it could attempt roasting him again. He turned and dashed forward, jumping at the edge with his sword held high, and came down with a two-handed blow.

He only managed to knock a nick in the monster’s armor, leaving himself exposed. But on the other hand. He had managed to knock it off balance.

Swinging his sword in an upwards arc as he recovered, he turned and put some distance between them to buy him a few seconds. This time, the blow connected, a thin slice appearing across the monster’s left cheek.

The monster let out a screech before charging again, knife raised high. Link ducked, covering himself with the shield, and felt a harsh blow along his back with a metallic clang.

He tightened his grip on his sword. What was it the fairy said?

_Think of your blade as an extension of your arm. If you focus your magic into your arm, you can channel it into your blade, and strike those that would harm you with more power._

That might work! But… how does he access his magic?

He sprang up and scrambled, jumping to the next platform, then the next. He needed a minute to think. To breathe. The lizalfos let out an angry screech, eying him cautiously.

His sword… his arm… He sucked in a breath of air, thumb rubbing the swords hilt.

Skull Kid always told him to imagine his magic as something like honey, oozing through his body, slowly spreading through, enveloping him in his entirety. Teleportation required a concentration of magic throughout the body. But this.

He focused on his left arm, imagining honey flowing into it, strengthening it, protecting it. For a second, he swore he felt a small spark of energy.

The lizalfos charged.

No time left. He spun, swinging his sword in a wide arc around himself.

He hit something with his sword. Hard. Almost hard enough to wrench it free of his grip.

As he turned back to his opponent, he could see the deep gash he had inflicted on the lizalfos across the stomach. It let out a garbled cry before stumbling and lurching forward in a last-ditch effort to finish off the skull kid. He sidestepped just as it dove, barely avoiding the outstretched claws, and watched with some relief and some horror as it slid over the edge and into the lava below them.

He refused to watch as it let out a final, terrified, pained cry, before falling forever silent.

A distressed screech let out behind him.

Registering the unfamiliar voice, Link looked back only to see that the other lizalfos had stopped fighting, having watched its teammate fall to their death. At once, it turned its attention to him, giving a hateful gaze as its eyes narrowed into slits.

But just as it prepared to jump, Darunia bellowed out a war cry, and a blow from his hammer managed to connect to its side with enough force to send it flying across the room and over a cliff into the haze blocking the lower level from view. Distantly, Link could hear a Goron let out a startled yell.

Darunia turned to look at Link, seemingly undisturbed by the events that had just passed. He was not much worse for wear than he already had been when Link last saw him, wiping the back of his hand across his brow before hefting up his hammer once again and beginning to make his way to the other door, gesturing for Link to follow.

Link gave one last look in the direction the lizalfos had fallen, gagging at acrid smell of burning flesh, and quietly realizing how close he had come to having the same happen to him. Then he turned to follow after Darunia, suddenly even more eager to leave this death trap.

* * *

For some time after the fight, the trio’s journey was uneventful. Almost quiet, even. They had traveled on through another room guarded by flames, stopping only after they reached the other side to check their wounds. Link had been fortunate enough to get out with little more than scrapes on his arms and upper back from when he had been knocked over. The only worse injuries were a couple of shallow punctures from the lizalfos’ claws, sticky sap already covering and protecting the wound.

Darunia too, had been injured. But his wounds were not severe either. Several small cuts oozed along his arms, and a few more marred his face and shoulders. But each was treatable. They were dabbed with a red gelatinous poultice that Navi claimed was related to red potion, then the two fighters downed a shared red potion to help with their strength.

Then they were on the move again, traveling through the quiet tunnels in near silence.

This time, their journey was less jovial, much more tense. The close shave with the two lizards had reminded the group all too well of their morality.

“Dodongos would have made sense,” Darunia had grunted, breaking the silence. “It’s rare for them to come this far up, but they are native to this area, to the caverns. But lizalfos? They were driven to the other side of Death Mountain generations ago. To find more than one wandering the mines is no coincidence. Someone brought them here.”

“Ganondorf,” Navi had responded.

“I can’t think of anyone else that could have done it,” Darunia agreed.

Silence returned as the group continued on, Link trailing just a little behind, then running to catch up, then falling behind again, lost in thought. So lost, that he almost ran into Darunia’s backside when the Goron came to a stop.

They were in a large room again, the one with the pillars they had been in before. But this time, they were crossing up on higher ground on a metal bridge. Darunia had paused, before continuing across and coming to a stop by an iron-lined entryway.

“Hold, on kid,” he started. “I’m going to get something.”

He leaned his hammer against the wall before grabbing hold of and hoisting himself up a ledge. There was a sound of things being shifted around. Then he returned, dusting himself off before depositing an odd, handmade leather-like sack into Link’s hands.

“What’s…”

“It’s a bomb bag,” Darunia explained before reaching for his hammer. “One of our finest types of crafts. Thought it might be useful.” He began to walk through the hall, Link quickly following behind. “There should be five or so in there. They’re a little bigger than your hand and can be lit without a match. We make those bags from dodongo stomachs, as they’re surprisingly good at containing a blast.”

Link paused to look inside the bag. Sure enough, there were a few inside, each an almost navy blue in color.

“Much more convenient than finding a bomb flower to use, don’t you think?”

He nodded slowly before attaching the bag to his belt for later use.

With his new arsenal safely stowed away, Link scurried down the hall after Darunia.

They came out on a ledge lined by the ribs of an ancient dodongo, overlooking the main entrance they had come through before. Link took a moment to look down at the busy Gorons and the red-hot coals below before inching away from the ledge. Then he took note of the tablet in front of him.

“Navi?”

“Hold on Link, I’ll read it for you.”

The fairy crawled out from under Link’s hat, fluttering closer to the stone. “Giant dead Dodongo… when it sees red, a new way to go will be open.”

Link turned his gaze to the far side of the room. That did kind of look like a skull. He scurried down the walkway to get a better look.

There was another bridge down this way, hanging just over the skulls eyes.

“Oh, I get it!” Navi called out. “We’re supposed to turn the eyes red. Maybe by dropping bombs in them?”

That made sense!

“Hold on!”

Link paused, hand half-way into the bag, as Darunia called out, catching up.

“There’s no need for that. It wouldn’t be safe to go dropping bombs while people are working, now is it?”

The skull kid considered for a moment before shrugging, eliciting a groan from Navi.

“No, Link. It is not safe nor polite to drop bombs on people.”

Satisfied, Darunia turned to shout down to the workers below, cupping a hand over his mouth. “Hey, we could use a lift down!”

A couple of the Gorons stopped what they were doing, staring up at the trio for a moment before giving a friendly wave and rushing off to the side. Moments later, a small, metal container was hoisted up on a pulley. Darunia lifted Link up – though not without an indignant protest - and placed him in the box along with his hammer before giving the signal for him to be lowered down. Then he jumped down after the box, curling into a ball and hitting the ground with a thud, but no worse for the wear.

As soon as he brushed himself off, he began to give out orders. “We’re headed into the depths! Brother Blugoro! Open up the dodongo’s maw. Keep guards stationed outside; we don’t know what’s in there.”

At once, the room was a flurry of activity - even more so than it already had been. Some Gorons continued what they had already been doing. While others busied themselves getting stationed in the middle of the room or scrambling about the sides. One went rolling across the hot coals to somewhere Link could not see. Then, after a few seconds, the skull’s jaws began to creak open, a cloud of dust spreading into the air as it moved.

When the movement finally groaned to a halt, a path had been created by the skull’s lower jaw, a doorway nestled into the wall beyond. Dauria took the first step onto the bone, before motioning for Link to follow, then continuing on to open the door. Link dashed to catch up, hurrying on through the door ahead of Darunia, his footfalls quick and light.

The room beyond was surprisingly plain; the floor and ceiling made of dug out stone, the only decoration being a few carved stones in the floor. Three other exits lined the room, two open and one sealed by a door.

“We haven’t used this area in recent times,” Darunia explained, headed for the closed door. “My brothers and I mostly use it for storage. However, our harvests have been poor this year, so there has been no need for the extended space, unfortunately. The other two paths just loop together, by the way.”

Link nodded slowly, pretending to understand, but these were adult problems. Problems for non-forest dwellers. Things he had never needed to worry about.

The door slid open, bidding Link and Darunia to enter. The room beyond was similarly plain and empty, something that seemed to surprise Darunia. He began to slowly move into the room.

“This can’t be it,” he muttered under his breath. “There’s no way that so many monsters would be active in the front but nothing back here…”

Then the ground creaked under him. Before he had a chance to register it, the rock beneath gave out.

Darunia let out a scream as he tumbled down to the depths below.

Link scrambled back as the ground crumbled beneath him, barely avoiding falling into the pit that had opened up int he centers of the room. Once the floor quit crumbling and the dust settled, he inched forward towards the hole on his hands and knees.

It was a straight drop from here, a rough hole in the center of the room leading down to a room below. The floor was not _too_ far away; he could make it without too much trouble if he jumped.

But the red glow made him nervous.

He could just barely make out the silhouette of Darunia climbing to his feet, groaning. He looked up, just barely able to make Link’s glowing eyes out above him, and then froze when suddenly the ground seemed to rumble. Link clung to the edge as tightly as his fingers would allow.

“Link!” Darunia called without moving. “I need you to jump down here. Now.”

The skull kid stared for a minute, bewildered, before his need to do what he promised struck. Slowly he backed away from the edge, before turning and easing himself down so that he was hanging off the edge, before finally letting go, hitting the ground with a tumble, holding tight to his hat. Navi fluttered down effortlessly behind him.

As he stood, he could now see that the glow in the middle came from a pool of lava, bubbles occasionally rolling to the top and popping, sending a small splatter of the molten rock flying. Honestly, he thought it the scariest thing in the room, although Darunia’s eyes were on something else that probably should have scared him more.

At the far end of the room stood a blue-green scaly beast so large, so bulky, that it took up the entire walkway. Vibrant gemstone-like growths grew along its front shoulders, tapering off down the back. A single curved spike protruded from its head, with several more tapering down its spine. Its three-toed feed ended in long, wickedly curved claws, at least as long as his sword!

“A King Dodongo!” Darunia shouted back to Link. “This is far more dangerous than anything else you’ve fought so far, be careful kid!”

It began to lumber forward. Darunia lifted his hammer and planted its feet firmly in the ground.

Until it stopped, starting to suck in air.

The Goron’s eyes widened. At once, he abandoned his position in favor of knocking Link to the ground and curling around him, the skull kid letting out a startled cry.

Flames licked around them seconds later.

Darunia grunted as flames licked at a more sensitive exposed spot, the blast seeming to last almost a minute before dying away. But as soon as it had, he hopped to his feet, turning back towards the beast with his hammer already raised. The dodongo too was ready, already lumbering closer once again.

“Kid, get back! That sword of yours won’t do any good unless you manage to get under him. I’ll try to distract him for you.”

With only those words to go off of, the Goron ran charging forward with a battle cry, raising his hammer to swing with momentum behind it at the king dodongo’s face.

Link backed away a little with his hand on his blade’s hilt, watching as the fight unfolded in front of him. Darunia would go in for a blow, then roll out of the way just in time to avoid the claws that swept at where he had just been. His movements were surprisingly fluid for someone his size, signs of a life of training and fighting.

But he still did not have an opening to strike himself. And most of the Goron’s blows seemed to not even phase the dodongo.

The dodongo caught sight of him.

Link froze as the dodongo ignored another blow from Darunia, instead turning its attention to the smaller, wooden kid staring at him from across the room.

“Oh no.”

Link turned and bolted down the walkway as he noticed the Dodongo begin to suck in air again.

Fortunately, Darunia noticed too, and managed to interrupt the attack with a swift blow to the monster’s jaw.

This was no good, Link realized with dismay. The dodongo had him on the run, and was barely bothered by Darunia’s attacks, despite the power behind them.

Even Navi seemed at a loss for the moment. “There has to be something we can do!” She cried out.

Link grit his teeth and clenched his sword as he began to carefully inch his way back towards the fight.

An attack of Darunia’s missed. As he attempted to regain his footing, he was swatted, sent arcing through the air.

Now the dodongo’s eyes were on Link. But it did not open its maw to breathe fire on him this time. Instead, it began to… curl into a ball?

“Run!”

Navi’s call made Link flinch before turning to dart away. Behind him, the Dodongo had begun to roll towards him, far faster than it had walked before. Link could feel it gaining on him as he turned a sharp corner and kept running. The dodongo, too, turned, continuing its pursuit.

Link swore he could feel the monster right on his heels as he continued to run, rounding another corner sharply at the last second, diving to avoid being rolled over.

This time, however, the dodongo did not turn in time, sending it crashing into the wall. With it winded for a moment, Link scrambled to his feet, finally having a chance to charge in and jab it once. It let out a pained howl before climbing to its feet, forcing Link to retreat.

Darunia was back on his feet now, rushing the beast from the other side with a yell, slamming his hammer down on its tail.

“We can’t bet on that working a second time!” Navi shouted to Link, fluttering to catch up to him. “We need another plan, and fast.”

Link gave the fairy a nod, and began to dash towards the monster again, when he suddenly stopped as he felt his bomb bag slap against his leg, and an idea overcame him.

“I have an Idea!” He shouted before dashing off with his sword in one hand, and his other dipped into the bag.

The dodongo had turned around to face Darunia directly, continuing to swipe and snap at the Goron as he danced just out of range. Link ducked and ran under the monster’s belly, jabbing it on the way across to draw its attention, then rolling out from underneath, springing to his feet just out of the monster’s range.

The king dodongo roared in anger and in pain, gaze set on the skull kid. Darunia took notice and turned to shout to Link. “Get back!”

Link did not retreat. Though he did sheathe his sword. The dodongo began to suck in air. Darunia rolled forward and attempted to dive in front of Link, but the skull kid sprang out of the way, pulling one of the bombs from his bag. He yanked the string from the top of the device, then immediately hurled it into the beast’s mouth with as much force as he could, and dove.

The monster gagged, its attack interrupted, and then suddenly shrieked and fell as the bomb went off inside. At once, Link sprang to his feet and dashed forward, reaching for his sword, and began to hack and slash at the dodongo’s throat. Darunia, catching on, followed up, delivering a crushing blow to the beast’s windpipe with his hammer.

The monster screamed and thrashed. One of the blows caught Darunia, knocking him back with a nasty gash in his arm. Another hit Link, sending him flying across the room, his sword wrenched free of his grip. He hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from him. He was vaguely aware of a cut in his thigh oozing sap, a hole ripped through his pants. For a several seconds he laid still, dazed and groaning, trying to will himself to move. But finally, he pulled himself to his feet and limped over to where Darunia had landed, also disarmed.

“How many… more times…” he rasped, hoping Darunia would catch what he meant.

“I think we may have got it, look.” He pointed to where the dodongo had finally climbed to his feet. It tried to roar, letting out what sounded more like a choked cry, and curled as if planning to roll into them again. Link tensed, uncertain as to if he’d be able to outrun the monster this time.

But as it tried to charge at them, the monster’s roll faltered, and instead of rolling towards them, it veered into the lava, sending flecks of molten rock flying before it finally dropped on the edge of the pool. It let out a final shriek, then stilled, leaving the two fighters breathing heavily in the silence.

Darunia was the first to break it, letting out an excited whoop and raising his fist in the air. Link found himself letting out laughter of relief and joy in the same spirit of celebration.

But finally, the moment of victory subsided, leaving the injured pair to go about and collect their weapons. Still, there was a bit of joy in the air, the high of a close shave victory.

Until Link realized something, voicing his concerns to his fairy.

“We won… But…” Link began, tilting his head towards the celling, towards the hole in the roof. “How do we get back up there?”

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that,” Navi responded. “If this is the work of Gannondorf, like the Deku Tree, then I think we might be able to get out the same way we did there.”

“Warping?”

“That’s right.” Navi bobbed up and down twice before turning back towards the dodongo’s remains. “And there’s our way out now.” Just beyond the body, a small circle of light had formed, just like the one in the Deku Tree.

Wasting no time and in a hurry to get out of the fiery depths, Link, waved Darunia over to the spot before limping ahead into the light, relaxing as the warm, cozy feeling of being transported out enveloped him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes regarding creative liberties:  
> \- Although the lizalfos in Ocarina of Time cannot breathe fire, there are lizalfos in other games that can, so I chose to have the lizalfos in this story have that ability  
> \- I wrote the group discussion stories to break up the action a little and to try to get a bit of the other game's lore in the story. Darunia's story obviously comes from Skyward Sword, where as Navi's story is loosely based on the explanation for Kokiri from the Zelda Encyclopedia, albeit told as a legend or theory rather than as fact. Link's story is similarly based on the story of the Carnival of Time from Majora's Mask, as retold by Skull Kid with some parts mixed up or just plain incorrect.  
> \- The line regarding how bombs work come from me trying to figure out a way they could work without being lit.
> 
> I feel like I may not have captured Darunia's voice and character as well in this chapter, so it may be edited more at a later date. That said, I wanted to get this chapter out since it had been finished other than editing for almost 2 months.


	13. On the Horizon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Link gets another stone, and gets rained on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before reading this chapter there's a few things I want to mention. First of all, it is important to note that from this chapter through the remainder of the "child arc" had a major restructuring half-way through writing this chapter. As a result, it may be a bit short in comparison to others, but I think the story comes out stronger as a result. Second, you might notice that there are some inconsistancies regarding capitalization between chapters. This is due to some internal debate over whether certain things, such as "goron" should be capitalized. Nintendo capitalizes it, but more than likely that is due to the nature of trademarks and other copyright stuff. I have decided to not capitalize these nouns going forward (i.e. hylian, zora, kokiri, etc), but have not had time to go back and edit previous chapters. I will eventually.

As the blue-white light faded away, Link found himself surrounded by stone and dirt, the sun beginning it's climb in the sky. He glanced behind him. The warp had deposited him back outside the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern. He looked back in front of him catching sight of a goron staring at him incredulously.

The goron jabbed a chubby finger at the skull kid. "You just sort of. Appeared out of nowhere!" He exclaimed.

Link giggled impishly, bringing his arms back behind his head. "Yeah? Yeah! I did, didn't I!" He rocked up on his toes up, practically bouncing with amusement from the goron's astonishment.

His excitement was cut off by the sound of Darunia clearing his throat. He, too, had returned from the cavern depths in a flash of cool light, dusting himself off as he tried to make sense of the time. But before long, a big grin spread across his face. He reached a hand - nearly as big as Link's head - down to give the skull kid a rough noogie. "Ha ha! We did it kiddo!"

Link let out a squeak as the goron then gave him a hearty pat on the back. Hard enough to cause him to stumble and fall from the force. If Darunia noticed, he said nothing, focused instead on laughter and what else he had to say.

"My people will be able to fill themselves on the rocks from the cavern till our stomach's burst! No more starving! And it's all thanks to you kid!"

Link slowly climbed back to his feet, laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well-"

"What a wild adventure this was! It'll make an incredible story!" Without warning, the goron scooped him up into a tight hug. A hug so tight that for a moment, Link was certain that his barky skin would break open. "Oh! You know what? That gives me an idea. I think this calls for a celebration!"

He dropped the skull kid, his attention to the other goron. "Hey! Gormi, my brother! Head back to the city, start making arrangements immediately!"

"What?"

"Go, tell everyone to get ready! Link and me are sworn brothers now!"

"We are?"

"Of course! And though there's no need for a ceremony, I think our exploits call for a celebration!"

* * *

Goron parties were… an experience.

It seemed like the entire city had come out of whatever holes they were hiding in. Even more gorons were gathered than when he had performed music days ago. Huh, it had been several days now, hadn't it? Link had now discovered the use for the huge base at the bottom of the pit; young gorons were making a dangerous game of trying to toss small bomb flowers inside. On the middle level, a feast was under way, only the finest cuts of rock laid out for any goron to take. Link had to politely decline offers of the stone multiple times, sticking to his skultulla legs he had harvested before and bread.

Several times he'd had to wiggle his way out of bone crushing hugs now, or stumbled from a hard, friendly pat on the back. Despite all the excitement around him, Link felt… tired. And as the day wore on, he found himself desperate to get away from the festivities for a bit. He made his way around the edges of the walkway, climbing higher and higher until he finally found one tunnel near the top that appeared to be quiet and empty.

As he made his way deeper into the dim tunnel, he reached a hand into his bag until his hand brushed against what he was looking for: the fairy ocarina. He rubbed a finger against the wood, thinking about the notes to Saria's song in his head. A sigh escaped his mouth. In the excitement of the last few days, he had only just realized how long it had been since he'd contacted his friends back in the forest. He leaned back against the wall and brought the instrument up to his mouth, blowing into it as quietly as possible in hopes of not attracting any more attention. Navi poked out from underneath his hat, speaking in a groggy voice.

"Is the party over already…?"

For a moment after he finished the song, it was silent, not a peep of sound entering his mind. Fingers tapped anxiously across the woodgrain. Did he maybe play the song wrong?

But just as he was bringing the ocarina back up again, Saria's voice spoke out in his mind.

"Link? Are you still there?"

The skull kid smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm here."

"Oh good," the fairy girl's voice said. "Sorry, I was in the middle of something and had to go somewhere quieter. I'm so glad to hear from you again. Is everything okay? It's been days since you last contacted us, we were getting worried! Skull Kid was about ready to come looking for you, I swear."

"Oh, um, everything's gone great," Link fibbed. "Absolutely perfect. In fact, we should be getting the second stone any time now."

"Really? That's great Link! The goron one, right? That means you only need one more?"

Link nodded. Then, realizing that Saria would not be able to see it, he let out a little "mhm." He paused for a moment before continuing with his own question. "Do you… do you have any idea where the last one might be?"

There was a moment of silence in his head. "I think the Deku Tree might have mentioned it to me once. You have the Forest Stone and the Fire Stone, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"So that would leave the Spiritual Stone of Water… I know, it must have been with the zoras."

"The… what?"

"They're a race of fish people. I can't tell you exactly where to go but… if you look for sources of water, you might be able to find something."

"That… makes sense I guess," Link said with a nod. His voice grew quieter.

"Are you okay?" Saria asked, sensing his hesitation.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just… I was wondering where Skully was."

"Ah, I see. He's hanging out in the woods. Or at least… I hope he's hanging out in the woods. He-" She cut off suddenly. Link really wished he could see what was going on right now.

"... He isn't waiting in the woods. I need to go, Link, before someone gets bitten by a skulltula that  _someone_  just released in the middle of the Kokiri Forest clearing. Check back with us soon, alright?"

"Mhm."

Link lifted away one of his hands, using the other to put the ocarina back in his bag. He stood still for a moment, staring down at the bag.

His hesitation did not go unnoticed by Navi. The fairy fluttered down from his head and into his line of sight, making a slow, concerned tinkling noise. "Link, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," the skull kid insisted.

"You don't sound fine."

For a second, the boy's fingers twitched, the glow of his eyes wavering ever so slightly. But the moment passed as quickly as it had begun. He let out a sigh. "I'm… fine, really."

Before Navi could protest further, he put on a smile, took a deep breath, and began to walk back outside into the noise, quietly avoiding the few gorons still on the upper level until he reached the outer edges of the walkway, looking down into the city's center pit.

Most of the gorons were further down in the lower rings now, heavily invested in whatever the game the gorons were playing with vase was or feasting. Link took a moment to watch the excitement, the kinship that the rock-like beings shared with each other. The smallest of frowns crossed his face. Just a few days ago, he had been so excited to play music with the gorons. But now, something felt off. It kind of reminded him of the kinship he had with Skully, he supposed, but at the same time…

A strong hand taking hold of his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. He let out a surprised yelp, turning his head to see Darunia just behind him with one hand on his shoulder, and the other behind his back.

The goron leader let out a hearty laugh. "Woah-ho! Easy there, brother! It's just me. Thought I saw you up here. Here, walk with me." He began to make for the exit, leaving Link to follow.

The two stopped just a little way outside. The sun was high in the sky now, mid-afternoon light casting small shadows among the cliffs. Few, wispy clouds dotted the sky, but thicker grey clouds were moving in on the horizon. Link turned to look back to Darunia. Before he could ask any questions, however, the goron held out his hand.

"Figured you might be getting ready to head out, brother. I thought I'd see you off, and make sure you didn't forget  _something_ important." He opened his hand. Sitting in his palm was a red jewel cut in a pentagon shape, set deep into a golden bezel. Its facets glinted in the bright sunlight.

Link carefully took the gem in both hands, turning it over to give the precious stone a thorough look over. While he did his inspection, Daruina continued. "I hope this helps you out on your quest, kid. You take that stone and do what you need to. Just make sure to bring it back next time you visit, alright?"

Despite the troubled thoughts on his mind, Link gave the smallest of smiles and a nod. "Of course," he replied quietly.

Navi fluttered in front of Link. "Thank you, Darunia, for trusting us with this. We will be certain to take good care of it and return it as soon as possible. We wish you and your tribe well, and I will pray to the goddesses for your continued prosperity."

She turned to Link next. "Come on Link, we've got no time to lose. All we have left is the Spiritual Stone of Water to collect. Do you have a clue of where we need to go?"

The skull kid nodded. "Mhm… Saria said to look for water sources - that it belongs to the zoras."

"Zoras, eh?" Darunia cut in." If you head back through Kakariko and follow the river outside of the village against its flow, you'll eventually reach zora's domain. Heh, haven't talked to those fellas in a while. I wonder how their king is doing these days."

Oh, that's helpful. Thanks so much Darunia!"

"Anytime. You two be careful now, and steer clear of that gerudo man!"

Link gave a firm nod, smiling as he turned away. "We will!" With that, he took a second to wave to the goron, and took off on the path down the mountain that he had traveled just days before.

* * *

Clouds had fully blotted out the setting sun by the time Link reached the base of the mountain. On top of the quickly darkening sky, a heavy drizzle had started. A roll of distant thunder shook the skull kid out of his thoughts. He paused just past the gates of Kakariko to squeeze a bit of water from his tunic. The goron tunic may have been fire-proof, and magically protected him from the flames and heat of Dodongo's Cavern, but it failed to keep from being soaked to the core.

The guard at the Kakariko gate gave him nary a glance as he passed back through, wordlessly opening it to allow him passage. Between the armor and the rain masking the scents of everything around him, he could not tell if it was the same one that had let him through before.

"I think we should find somewhere to rest for the night," Navi mumbled quietly from under Link's hat, breaking the silence.

"But I'm not tired," Link protested.

"I know," she said, "but it looks like the weather is going to get worse, and I'd hate for us to get caught up in this storm. There must be somewhere we can shelter for the night at least."

The skull kid tilted his head up, tapping his chin. "Wasn't there a cucco coop back near the graveyard? I could sleep there!"

"I was thinking more along the lines of one of these houses, actually."

Link paused, glancing over the wood and brink structures. "I dunno…"

"It would be much safer than some cucco coop," Navi goaded. "Warm and dry and sturdy. I'm sure there's someone that will let you stay. Come now, we have no time to waste if we're going to find a place before the storm worsens. Maybe the potion shop lady will let us stay, remember her?" Without waiting for an answer, she zipped out from the hat.

"Come on it's this way." She began to fly ahead, leaving Link no choice but to follow if he wanted out of the rain.

The fairy led him down the stairs and around several buildings to a fence. Besides the guard, everyone had taken shelter from the rain already, leaving the small village eerily empty.

"Wait here Link," Navi said. "I'll find an entrance."

"No need," The skull kid replied. With a quick adjustment of his bag and a running start, he scrambled up and over the fence, landing neatly on the other side.

"That works too…" Navi mumbled. Then she continued in a louder voice. "Don't do that again. This is trespassing."

"What's trespassing?"

"You know, climbing into other people's property. The kokiri may not care too much so long as you don't bother their personal belongings, but most hylians do."

"Oh, okay."

The fairy let out a sigh before continuing on, flying up a small brick wall. Link went around the stairs to the side. By the time he had reached the top Navi had already turned from the door with a huff.

"Never mind, its closed. She's not here."

"Oh." Link began to reach for the door anyways.

"Link, no!"

"What now?"

"You can't go into someone's home if they're not here. That's trespassing too! Come on let's find somewhere else."

The skull kid let out a huff but did not argue. He followed the fairy around but stopped short of the fence. Navi flew through the holes between posts.

"Come on now."

"You told me not to do that again. It's trespassing."

Navi let out a sigh. "Oh, for the love of Farore…" She mumbled. "Link, she continued in a louder tone, "it's trespassing to go into their property. Leaving somewhere you're trespassing into in the first place is the opposite of trespassing."

Link stared for several seconds before finally shrugging and scaling the fence just as he had before.

"That's better, now come on, there was house on the other side, we can try there."

Once again, the fairy led him around a corner to a different door, pounding against it a couple times to knock before the skull kid arrived.

A large, surly man in an open blue vest and green pants answered the door. He stared down at the fairy and skull kid incredulously.

"Hi," Navi started in a friendly tone. "We were just passing through and were wondering if we could stay here for the night to get out of the storm."

The man stared at them for a moment, frozen with eyes locked on the kid's eerie, unblinking, glowing eyes, then quickly looked back towards someone they couldn't see.

"Sorry, we're all out of space," he said quickly before nearly slamming the door. Navi swore she heard the click of a lock afterwards.

"Not so trusting after dark, are they?" she said quietly. "Sorry Link, we'll try somewhere else.

The two were off once again. The next door they tried was already locked, thought the boarded-up windows and numerous flyers around the door suggested that the house had been abandoned for some time. By now, it was all but pouring rain, with the occasional flash of lighting or roll of thunder.

"I still think we could try the cucco hut," Link suggested.

"No, no that's a bad idea."

"Why?"

"Well…" Navi began, trying to think of a delicate way to approach the subject, while still being truthful "Because… well, based on that other house's reaction, the villagers probably would think you were going to hurt their cuccos."

"That's silly, sure I could shoot them with a slingshot, and it would be funny to watch, but why would I make someone I'm staying with mad?"

"That's not it," Navi replied in a tired tone. "It's more that they would… well… probably think that you were hurting them because… Because they probably think of you as a monster, like the stalchildren or a lizalfos."

The skull kid faltered for a moment. "Oh, right."

"B-but that doesn't mean everyone will," she added quickly. "Come on, let's try another house. I'm sure there's someone hospitable… Oh look, I think I see a guard over there. Maybe they can help us."

The fairy turned and fluttered back ahead. Link followed at a slower, more cautious pace, suddenly feeling much more vulnerable after his talk with Navi. He thought back to the guards at the castle. He thought back to Darunia. The goron had said he was angry because the royal family had sent him a kid but… was there more to it? He thought back to the conversation he overheard between Navi and the potion woman. The woman had called him a monster then… And Navi had never protested, had she?

A grim thought popped into his head.

… Did Navi view him as a monster too?

He nearly jumped out of his bark when a loud crash of thunder shook him out of his thoughts. He could dwell on it later. For now, shelter.

He scurried to catch up to Navi, who had already reached the guard and was explaining their predicament.

"... so please, is there any chance you can provide us with a place to stay?"

The man looked over the fairy, then over to Link, who had just arrived.

"Well…"

Link heard footsteps from behind, he resisted the urge to reach for his sword.

"Let them inside," a deep, commanding, feminine voice said from behind. "My home is meant to be a safe haven for everyone, traveler and villager alike."

Link noticed that the man suddenly stood up a little bit straighter. "Oh! O-of course, Lady Impa!"

The skull kid turned. Sure enough, the sheikah woman from the castle was there, standing just behind him with her arms crossed.

"Good to see you again, Link. I trust your journey is going well?"

Link nodded.

"Lady Impa, you know this- you know him?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, he's on a quest for Princess Zelda. Since he's here, I'd like to speak with him. Now if you'll excuse us…"

She moved between the two to pass on to the door. Link bowed his head and hurried behind.

The inside of the house was dry and much warmer. Although it was dim inside, there was a small, brick oven ablaze, giving light to the room. Link noticed two people inside: a skinny man seated by a wall of bookshelves, his nose buried in a book, and a young red-headed woman tending to the fire. The man glanced up at the two and began to open his mouth to say something, but thought better of it when he saw Impa, and closed his mouth again.

The girl looked up at the new arrivals as soon as she finished shifting the burning logs. "Ah, Lady Impa, we weren't expecting a visit. I would have cleaned up the place if I had known. Oh, and… you're that kid from a few days ago, aren't you?"

Link nodded slowly.

"You need not apologize," Impa began. "I would love to hear about how the village is doing, but I'm afraid I cannot stay long. There is a lot going on at the castle, and I am only here for a few hours to check up on a few things. I'll be leaving as soon as the rest of the storm passes. For now, I need to speak with this boy."

She turned her attention to Link. "Come, let's get you out of those wet clothes. Do you have anything else to wear?"

The skull kid nodded, already pulling the gloves from his outfit off. He retreated quickly to the back of the room and up a flight of stairs, already beginning to pull his old, ratty kokiri tunic out.

Impa turned her back. "Let me know when you are finished getting dressed."

He moved quickly, shimmying out of the pants and the red tunic in exchange for the green one, fingers brushing over some of the old cuts and rips. He left his boots off, and called out to Impa when he was done, who moved his wet clothes over by the fire spread out to dry off before returning to sit by him at a table on the upper floor. Navi fluttered to a stop on the table between the two of them.

Impa began to speak in a quiet voice. "I apologize if any villagers gave you trouble. Things have been tense here, from what I gather. Gandondorf came through just a day or two ago on a trip up to Goron City, and they're on edge." She turned her head to look outside a window for a moment. "I cannot stay long. The situation at the castle is becoming precarious, and truly, I should not be away from Zelda's side. Tell me, how goes your search for the stones."

"We've just come back from Goron City," Navi responded. "Darunia gifted us the stone this afternoon for helping him."

Link began to reach for his bag to show off the stone, but Impa held a hand up to stop him. "No, not here child. Ganondorf has eyes in many places, it is best to not risk it." Once his hands were away from the bag, she gave him the slightest smile. "I'm glad to hear that you've succeeded though. Tell me, do you have a clue where the third one might be?"

The skull kid nodded. Navi spoke for both of them. "We have a good reason to believe that the last stone is with the zora people. We planned to head there as soon as possible."

"That would make sense. The zora are a race of fish-like people. It would make sense that they would hold the spiritual stone of water."

A crash of thunder sounded outside. Impa glanced downstairs, catching the girl mumbling something about how she wishes she had brought the cuccos in the house.

"I had come in hopes of finding out how things were going on your end. I'm glad to see that they're going well. Once this storm passes, I will be returning to the castle, and remaining there to keep an eye on the princess. I suggest you rest and return to your quest as soon as possible as well."

Link nodded seriously. "I will."

Impa smiled once again before standing up. "If you'll excuse me, I am going back downstairs to look over a book from my people. There is still much to prepare for. Remember what I told you before, Link. It's up to us to protect this land from evil. Everyone is counting on you."

The skull kid lowered his head slightly. "I know."

"I wish you luck on your travels. Be careful, Link, and may the goddesses grant you swiftness in your journey."

With that, the woman headed back down the stairs, leaving Link and Navi to dwell on their thoughts.

The skull kid remained seated for a moment, thinking about the responsibility he was left with. About how close he had come to dying in Dodongo's Cavern. About how vulnerable he truly was. What if something happened to him while he was seeking the final stone? Would that doom everyone? Or would things be as bad as they're made out to be?

He traced the shape of the Kokiri Emerald into the wooden table. Then the Goron Ruby. Both the kokiri and the gorons were depending on him returning their stones, weren't they?

Would something happen if he was unable to return their stones?

He really, really hoped he would not have to find out.


	14. Feeling Stubborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Zora's Domain is a thing that happens.

“Can’t I throw just one into the fire? C’mon, it would be funny.”

Navi looked over the skull kid in exasperation. No matter how many times she said it, he seemed to forget the concept of respecting other people’s things just a few minutes later. The lack of discipline for the lonely forest dweller was showing, and it was driving her absolutely nuts.

She let out a long breath. “No, Link. We’ve already been over this. I know your kind thrives on mischief and childish pranks but destroying people’s things goes beyond what’s okay. Try to get some sleep.”

The wooden boy grumbled something about not being tired slowly pulled his hand away from the book he had been eying. He trod back over to the bed, flopped down, and rolled over on his side, facing the wall.

Navi caught herself growing increasingly concerned by his growing frustration and disdain. Just earlier today, he had been so receptive to her teachings on the wrongness of trespassing, even if he did not seem to totally get it. But the longer they were cooped up in this house, the more antsy and gripey he seemed to get. If her sense of time was right - and she suspected it was, as fairies have a very good sense of time - then then they had been in here less than two hours. It took not even two hours for boredom to turn to mischief.

Still, the rain seemed to be letting up. A bit more time, and they could leave if he really wanted. Sure, they’d be traveling in darkness, but darkness did not slow him down that much. Even Impa seemed to have plans to travel in the dark. Time was of the essence; they could handle anything the dark threw at them. Hopefully.

“Okay Link, you know what? Why don’t you start getting your things together, we should be able to leave-” She cut off as she flew over to the other side of Link and realized the light of his eyes had gone dim, leaving two dark, empty holes. Huh, for all his insistence he must have fallen asleep after all. And although they were in a hurry, and she wasn’t even sure how much skull kids needed to sleep; it could not hurt to let him rest.

Navi smiled slightly, hovering above him, then fluttered down to his feet to attempt to lift and pull a sheet over him, only sort of succeeding. With Link taken care of, she poked herself up under his hat, settling amongst the fabric.

“Sweet dreams, Link.”

* * *

_Link could not be certain how long he had been out of it, but it must have been some time. As his sight flickered back, his eyes coming to light, he could see beams of light filtering through the dense canopy of leaves above him._

_He shifted in the wooden cranny he had settled down into. Huh. This wasn’t the soft grass and leaf bed he had created for himself. So where…_

_Soft, unfamiliar laughter sounded somewhere above him. His head slowly tilted upwards. A green-clad girl was seated on a root above him. Her face was soft, and round, and fleshy - unlike the bark of his or any other skull kids - framed neatly in hair as green as the outfit she was wearing. He quickly realized that she must be a kokiri._

_He let out an alarmed cry, springing to his feet. His sudden movement seemed to catch her off guard as well. She gasped, flinching. Her reaction put him in a defensive state, backed into a corner. He shrank back, trying to appear smaller as he stared up at her, not daring to let his gaze falter away, lest she make sudden movements. Was she afraid of him? Or was he the one that was afraid? Afraid of being caught where he wasn’t supposed to be? Afraid of being of being driven away? What_ was _he afraid of?_

_Her face shifts into a more neutral expression. He laughs nervously, hoping it would show her that he meant no harm. There’s a pause, and then she smiles. He laughs more. She laughs. She hops down in front of him. Her mouth moves like she’s saying something, but all that comes out is more laughter. His laughter slows to a stop. He can’t make out her face anymore._

_She charges forward, hands grabbing hold of his shoulders. Where she makes contact, it feels like he’s burning._

_“Saria!?”_

_He panics, attempting to pull away, but her hands curled around him, digging into his skin, flecks of amber oozing up around the wounds. On some level, he’s aware now that it’s a dream; kokiri can’t break through his tough skin just like that. But in the moment, it doesn’t matter._

_The burning sensation begins to spread, tendrils spreading deep into his body, and branching out into more threads of searing pain._

_The kokiri leans down, malice in her eyes and hisses a single word._

* * *

Link startled awake with a gasp, sitting up as his eyes flickered to life. He hears Navi somewhere nearby, letting out a cry of protest at the sudden movement. His hands gripped the bedsheet like vices.

He’s still in Impa’s house. Just a dream. Just a nightmare about Saria.

There is little light, besides the soft glow of his eyes. He thinks he sees the slight glow of a candle on the floor below. And perhaps a small amount of light leaks from the moon through the window.

Wait, the light from the window… The skull kid sprang up from the bed, dashing over to look out the window. Sure enough, the rain had stopped, and most of the cloud cover had cleared.

“Navi!” He cried out. “We stayed over! We gotta go!”

His outburst caused someone to groan and shush him from below. Apparently, the other people in the house had drifted off to sleep at some point.

Link ignored the protest, scampering down the stairs to where his drying clothes had been sat out beside the stove. Though they were still slightly damp, he took them anyways, stuffing them into his bag carelessly. He tugged on his boots in a rush, and then he was out the door, unaware of Impa watching the excitement unfold.

“May the goddesses light your path and make your journey swift,” the woman murmured before heading out the door for her own trip.

\---

The short trip back to Hyrule Field was uneventful, the pair traveling quietly under the moonlight. At least, until Navi broke the silence.

“Hey, Link, are you sure you don’t need any more rest? You were only asleep for maybe a few hours at most.”

The skull kid shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I don’t really need much sleep. I mean… resting helps me be more energetic and kinda helps me heal faster if I’m conserving energy by sleeping, you know? But I don’t _need_ it to live.”

Navi considered his statement for a moment. “I suppose that makes sense… Being undead does probably mean you need none, or at least less of things that living creatures need. But what about food, do you really need to eat then?”

In response to her question, Link shrugged. “I don’t know, it feels right though.”

The fairy was dissatisfied with his answer, but accepted it none the less, sensing that she would get no clear response. “Well, fairies _do_ need sleep. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try to fall asleep again. When you reach the river, go _against_ the flow of the water, okay?” Once he nodded in response, she let out a hum before ducking back under his hat, leaving the skull kid in silence.

He found himself thinking about the conversation he just had. It had never bothered him before, being undead. So were all the other skull kids. Kokiri did not seem to care _too_ much. And deku scrubs had no problem with it at all. But out here in the world outside the forest? He found himself uncertain. The hylians had given him mixed responses, but the gorons did not seem to care. Then again, none of them really knew what he was.

So maybe the kokiri _did_ care. Maybe they just put up with them all this time? Did Saria secretly look upon him with disgust?

Could he really face returning to the forest after this epiphany?

Dirt and stone gave way to grass. He had been so engrossed by his thoughts, that he had not realized he had made it back to Hyrule field. The reflection of moonlight in the distance and the sound frogs told him where his destination was. Eager to get his mind off of uneasy thoughts, he rushed ahead, stopping just at the shore of the lazy river, close enough for water to flow around the toes of his boots.

He peered down at the murky waters, then crouched to reach a hand down into the murky waters, feeling the tug of the waterflow. In the dark like this, it wouldn’t hurt to check the direction. Satisfied, he smiled and stood up, carefully inching his way along the grass and mud and roots along the riverbank, slowly following the water against its flow.

For some time, he was able to follow the river without trouble, carefully avoiding holes and dips in the ground. Once or twice, he thought he caught a glimpse of stalchildren playing in the field on the other side of the river. But he never tried to swim across to join. For one thing, he could not tell how deep the river was in the cover of darkness, and the current was strong enough that he would likely be swept away in its flow. But also, he almost kind of felt like he needed to be alone at the moment.

But before long the sky began to lighten, tinged a rosy color by the rising sun, the clouds having thinned to wisps. It was here that he had to temporarily halt his journey. In the dawn light, he could see that he’d reached a branch in the river. If he were to follow his current path, the river would take him through a cave. But a second fork flowed, veering sharply away.

Link reached up under his hat to tap at the fairy inside, hoping to get her attention. “Hey, um… Navi.”

“Mm… no listen to… ten more minutes…” the fairy incoherently mumbled. He poked at her harder, and harder still until he felt her tumble off his head and down into the bottom of his hat with a startled cry, pulling the hat down with her as she fell to the mud. She struggled to free herself from the cloth-covered darkness, finally managing to untangle herself and fly out.

“Link! What was that for?!”

Link paused to pick up his hat, then wordlessly pointed at the branch in the river before crouching to run his hat through the water in an attempt to clean it off.

“Which way?”

“Oh.” Navi fell silent, flying forward until she was hovering several feet above the branch in the river. “Well… Wait here for a moment.” Before he had a chance to protest, she took off up the smaller fork, leaving Link alone in silence to wring out as much water as he could from his hat before unceremoniously returning the damp cloth to his head.

Navi returned to his line of sight not much later, deciding to rest on his shoulder instead of inside the damp hat. “I think we need to go through the cave. That side appears to be flowing downstream, branching out from the cave.

Link considered her observation before giving the fairy a nod and beginning his trek. Though he still had to be careful, he now had to be less so than before; it was just bright enough now that he could make out the way in front of him. But his pace slowed once again as he entered the cave, his vision once again limited. He kept one hand against the left cave wall, taking note of the sound of rushing water to his right. A couple times, he found himself having to climb up a steep slope.

But before long, sunlight came into view in the tunnel’s end. He scurried ahead, eager to escape the encroaching darkness.

The tunnel opened up on the other side into a ravine, tall stone-and-dirt walls at least five times his height surrounding him on every side. His side was a cliff jutting out above the water. To his left, a wall and to his right, the river hugged against the other wall. Ahead of him, the crumbled stone remains of an old gate was strewn about the path, a pile of rubble that he would have to climb to pass. But surprisingly, at the top of the path was someone that was beginning to become a familiar sight: the wizened giant bird, Kaepora Gaebora.

“You again?” Navi exclaimed. “What are you doing here? I know you seem to have taken interest in Link, but are you following us?”

The bird ruffled his feathers, waggling his head. “Hoo hoo, now, is it really following if I’m here first?” When his question went unanswered, he continued. “Well, now, you’ll be happy to know that you’re on the right track. Just ahead lies Zora's Domain.” His tone darkened slightly. “Oh, but I’m afraid you may find it difficult to receive help from them at this time.”

“It can’t be any harder than what we had to do to get the Goron’s Ruby,” Navi protested.

“I’m afraid it may just be,” the bird countered. You see, a certain important member of the zora royal family has gone missing. You won’t find any help here unless you manage to find her. If you wish to find her, I suggest you speak with Jabu Jabu, the zora’s guardian spirit, and bring with you an offering.”

“What Kind of… offering?” Link asked.

“I’m afraid you will have to determine that on your own, I am certain you will be capable of figuring something out. But first, we must get you inside. Hoo, you see, the zoras serve Hyrule's royal family by protecting this water source. Their door will not open for anyone except those who have some connection with them.”

“Oh, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Navi said. “Do we still have that letter Zelda gave us, Link?”

The boy tilted his head up, bringing a finger up to his chin. “Um… no I think that guard kept it, actually.”

“Oh. Well…” Navi hesitated.  “That should be fine. We can try playing Zelda’s song. It worked for the gorons so it should work here, I think.”

Link gave the fairy a nod. That seemed reasonable. He reached down into his bag to thumb anxiously at the wooden instrument.

Kaepora Gaebora let out an impressed trill. “It sounds like you already have an idea of what to do. Well then, don’t let me slow you down any longer. Remember, you are capable of great things, young hero-to-be. I expect to see you again soon.” Satisfied, the bird took off, lifting high into the air and circling a couple times before finally flying away.

Link watched until he was out of sight, then turned his attention to the rubble in front of him. He took a moment to adjust his bag, and then with a running leap, he began to scramble his way over the broken stone. Oh, how he wished he could teleport right now, becoming one with nature to warp to the other side.

Much of his morning was spent in near silence like this, only punctuated by his footsteps and Navi calling out the direction he needed to head. The route up the river was in no way set, and he found himself having to leap across gaps and wade through the shallower parts of the river to continue his upstream journey. Several times, he barely made the jump from solid ground to solid ground, his feet scrabbling just inches from rushing water as he pulled himself to safety.

The two stopped for lunch in the mid-afternoon on one stone pillar that raised out of the water, watching the sun slowly creep along, and watching fish swim through the waters with little care.

“How much further, do you think?” Link asked between mouthfuls.

Navi turned away to avoid looking at Link’s meal of bug legs. “It can’t be much further, I hope. It wouldn’t make sense for it to be too far away, if they guard Hyrule’s water. At least, I think so.”

The skull kid hummed in agreement before taking another bite out of his food. He began to reach in his bag for the ocarina. Perhaps he could play it to pass the time, or maybe even talk to Saria and Skull Kid. But he hesitated just before his fingers made contact, a lingering doubt in his head.

“What do we do if they won’t let us in?”

“They’ll let us in,” Navi said.

“But what if they don’t?”

“They will,” she insisted. “But if they don’t, we’ll just have to figure something else out. Surely Zelda or Impa would have a backup plan.”

“I hope so...”

He remained quiet for the rest of the meal. And even afterwards, when they continued upriver. Fortunately, the rest of their trip was not nearly as difficult. The uneven ground soon gave way to a bridge. He crossed it with renewed vigor. Beyond it, a path on one side by stone and on the other by a fence lead him upwards and around a corner, veering slightly away from the river.

As he rounded the corner, the sight that came into view made his jaw go slack in surprise. The path cris-crossed in front of him, coming to a stop in front of a great, roaring cascade of water. Spray splashed shallowly on stones below, that pooled widely before narrowing out together into the river. He slowly continued down the path, awestruck by the view - far bigger than anything similar in the forest. It was… awe inspiring, really.

There was just one problem… the path came to a stop completely at the waterfall, and the stone on either side was damp and sheer, absolutely not fit for climbing.

“If this is the end, then where…” he started to mumble as he continued to the grass. Until his feet stepped on something that made a different noise. Something much more solid and firm than grass and dirt and mud. He paused, stepping back once to look down. At his feet was a carved stone slab, a familiar trio of faded, golden triangles on the surface. He bent down, running a finger on a particularly faded triangle. This must have been here for a long time, but no one had come by to upkeep it recently.

An idea struck him. If this was related to the royal family, then…

He let out an excited noise, fingers fumbling in his bag for the ocarina. No sooner than it was in his hands, it was up to his lips, letting out the melancholy tune of Zelda’s Lullaby. Please, please let this work.

For a moment, nothing happened. Dejected, he put his ocarina way. But then, he began to hear a low rumble. Alarmed, he stiffened, eyes darting to and fro. Before locking onto the waterfall. To his surprise, the water slowly began to part from the center, leaving the middle exposed. But even more surprising, was the waterfall’s secret. Behind it, a square- cut cave had been revealed.

The answer was obvious: he sprang forward into the opening, slowly, the water behind him began to cover the entrance again He could only hope that he was right.

“How’d they do that?” He mumbled to Navi.

“Magic, probably.”

He walked in near darkness for several minutes, only his eyes and Navi’s guiding light to lead them. But soon, the tunnel opened into a new, awe inspiring sight.

Zora’s Domain was made up of a huge system of caves. The tunnel had led up into a great cavern filled with water. Great clumps of glowing moss grew on the damp walls, providing light along with torches to the cave. Above him, the reflection of water danced on the cavern roof. A few stone islands dotted the indoor pool below, most of them empty save for a torch or moss.

Link slowly looked around as he stepped further in, his footsteps echoing in the cavern halls. The walkway curved around the cavern wall to his right, a good distance above the pooling water below. He paused at the edge to look down at the bright watery surface, only to stumble back and let out a cry of alarm as something sprang up from the depths, grabbing hold of the cliff edge and scrambling over to the top to get a look at him.

The creature was at least a head taller than him, covered in pale blue scales, with darker splotches in spots on his head and arms. Large fins tapered off of their arms, the ends waving slightly with their movement. Perhaps the oddest thing about him, in Link’s opinion, was his head. The back of his head extended out further than any other species he had met thus far, curving and tapering until it met into small fins that reminded him of a fish tail.

Based on what he had been told thus far, he could only conclude that this was a zora.

The fish person looked him over carefully, cautiously. “Are you the one that played the royal family’s song?” he asked. His tone was watery, but Link could still make out his words. The skull kid nodded, prompting a surprised tilt of the head. “Oh, may I ask why you’re here then?”

Navi answered for Link. “The princess sent us here. We were hoping we could speak with your royal family, about a sacred stone. Or perhaps to the zora’s guardian spirit?”

The zora frowned slightly. “You’re free to try, though you’re unlikely to get anything out of the king right now.” He pointed to his left, down the path. “Follow this down the way and around the corner, you’ll come to the throne room. Lord Jabu Jabu resides just beyond that, though I doubt the king will allow you access right now.”

“Why is that, if I may ask?”

“It’s not really outsider’s business, although since you’re with the Hylian royal family, I suppose I can tell you. Our dear princess Ruto went missing three days ago now, and no one has been able to find her.”

Link frowned, rubbing the back of his hand anxiously. He had already known some of the information, but now he knew more about the situation and had a better idea of what he was getting into.

“Thank you for letting us know,” Navi said. “We will see what we can find out. We may even be able to help.”

“Well, good luck to you, and I hope you’re able to enjoy your stay here.” With that the zora backed up and flipped over the edge of the cliff, dropping into the water with a large splash.

Link began to make his way down the path as instructed, turning to the left when he came up to a fork. The other path had curved further down, towards the water. But this one headed up, a flight of stairs ahead.

“Zora’s Domain is quite pretty; don’t you think Link?” Navi said, fluttering just a few feet ahead.

“Hm? Oh, I guess so. It’s too damp.”

“Does water really bother you that much?”

“It takes forever to dry out if it seeps down under my bark, and if I’m not careful, it could lead to rot.”

“Better than being too dry and burning easily though, isn’t it?”

“I guess that’s fair.”

The pair grew silent as they trudged up the final, long set of stairs, moving through a tunnel into a smaller open room. A platform raised atop a flight of stairs stood in front of them. A few inches of water flowed left into another tunnel along most of the floor. Several zoras were standing in this water with their backs turned to the skull kid and fairy duo. Instead, they had their heads tilted upwards to another blue figure, a great, fat creature sitting on a ledge above them, adorned in a cape and a jeweled crown.

“That must be the king,” Navi whispered, landing on Link’s shoulder.

“Are you sure? He looks totally different from everyone else.”

“Shh, listen.”

“Has there been any sign of my daughter?” The large zora asked, his tone urgent.

One of the zora’s shook his head. “None so far, sir. We’ve sent a party to Lake Hylia. One of them is to speak with the man with an observatory there, in hopes that he may have spotted the princess.”

“What about Jabu Jabu, has he spoke any wisdom?”

“Jabu Jabu has refused to speak to us, sir. Ever since that gerudo man came to speak with the two of you, he’s gone silent.” The statement sent anxious murmurs up through the group of zoras.

Navi and Link shared a look with each other. Link mouthed the name “Ganondorf.” So, he had already been here too. Link opened his mouth to say something, but Navi quickly hushed him as another zora spoke up.

“With all due respect, your highness, is it not possible that Ruto’s disappearance, as well as Jabu Jabu’s sudden silence, are connected to this Ganondorf? Both happened shortly after his visit after all.”

The king said nothing at first, letting out an odd noise. But then he spoke in a troubled tone. “You raise a good point. However, it would be dangerous to jump to conclusions. It would be unwise of us to make an enemy with another ally of the hylians.”

A third of the surrounding zora scoffed. “Since when have the gerudo ever sided with either the hylians or us. I say it’s all a ruse.” None of the other zora protested his statement.

Still, the king was adamant. “Historic enemies as they may be, the gerudo live in harsh conditions. We should always consider it possible that they have realized that there is more benefit in allying with Hyrule.” He paused to look over the rest of the zora, as if daring them to question him. “If there is nothing else to be said, then please get back to work, the longer Ruto goes without being found, the more danger she’s in.”

He raised a hand, holding it out to the small group. “You are all-”

“Hold on!”

Link shank back against the cave wall as another zora came rushing by, seemingly so in a hurry that he did not notice him.

“Great King!” The zora called out breathlessly, holding up a bottle in one hand. “We- found something at Lake Hylia! A- a note from the princess!”

At once, the chamber was a flurry of activity, zoras approaching to get a better look at what the zora that entered was holding, concerned voices, alarmed calls. The zora that had brought the note - a slightly smaller zora with dark stripes on the back of his head, lacking the tail-like protrusion at the back of his head - had to back up and hold his item - a bottle - up in the air to avoid being overwhelmed.”

“ENOUGH!” The king’s voice rang out, bringing the clamor to a hush. Only once everyone’s voices died down did he speak again, addressing the zora with the bottle. “Please, Mau, tell us what you found.”

“Yes, of course your highness,” the zora quickly said, struggling with the bottle to remove a damp piece of paper. “While we were scouring Lake Hylia, we found this bottle near the bottom of the lake with a note inside. We brought it back to the surface and discovered that it was in the princess’ handwriting.”

“Well, what did it say? Out with it!”

“Oh, right,”” The zora ran a hand sheepishly along the back of his head. “Ahem. It says to any dashing prince daring enough to look for me… Help me, I’m waiting for you inside Jabu Jabu’s belly. Ruto.”

At once, the room was a cacophony of voices.

“What?!”

“Why would Lord Jabu Jabu ever eat the princess?”

“This has to be a sick trick; someone must have kidnapped her and is just playing games with us?”

“What should we do?”

“Are we sure she actually wrote that letter.”

“Your highness, what do you want us to do?”

Finally, the voices seemed to die back down, awaiting the king’s response. The king was surprisingly silent for some time. When he spoke, his voice was quiet.

“I do not believe that Lord Jabu Jabu would ever do something like that. He would never harm my daughter. But… it is true that he’s been behaving oddly in recent time… We cannot risk it. I want a team of zoras working on getting Jabu Jabu to tell us if he truly has devoured the princess. The rest of you, keep searching elsewhere. I pray that by Nayru’s graces that this is only an incredibly cruel trick. Dismissed!”

Immediately zoras began scrambling about, spreading out into groups as most exited the throne room, some past Link, and others through the tunnel to the left. By the end, the only people remaining in the throne room were Link, Navi, the king, and a couple of attendants.

“Come on,” Navi whispered. “Let’s go ask for permission to help out.”

Link shook his head in response, whispering back. “No, let’s just do it. Kaepora Gaebora said we wouldn’t get any help unless we helped first, and to speak with Jabu Jabu right? So, let’s just do that.”

“But how would we manage to speak to him if he won’t even talk to his own people?”

“Simple, we bring him a gift, like the bird said.”

“Don’t you think they’ve already tried that?” When Link did not answer, Navi let out a sigh. “Okay, but what _kind_ of gift?”

 The question finally stumped Link. “Well… what would the Great Deku Tree have wanted if he was getting a gift?”

“That wouldn’t help us Link. Really, why can’t we just go talk to the king? I’m sure he would be willing to hear us out.”

“I can figure this out on my own.” Link turned and began to make his way back down the hall. “People like food, right? What if I brought him something to eat?”

“If he’s a spirit, he probably doesn’t need to eat.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s not worth a try. Oh, I know, there’s bound to be all sorts of fish here. Maybe that will work?”

Before Navi could protest, Link turned and scurried down the hall, taking the path down to the edge of the pool this time. To his left, a small cave entrance was lit by moss and torchlight, a bored looking zora leaning on a counter inside. Link ignored them, instead turning his attention to the shallow waters just beyond it. He splashed into the water, his footsteps sending a small splatter of droplets every which way. The water here was barely more than a deep puddle’s depth, not even rising all the way above his boots.

He paused just a few feet in, scanning the water for any sign of movement. “There!” He called out, pointing to a small school of fish hanging in the slightly deeper water. Slowly he began to inch his way forward, aware of every single ripple his movement made on the water. Only when he felt he was close enough did he spring forward, nearly diving into the water to grab hold of one of the wriggling fish. Its tail slapped against him in a panic. He tightened his grip. Not daring to let go of the slippery, scaly creature.

Once he was sure he had a good grip, he stood up in triumph, the front of his tunic soaked.

“Hah! Got it!” He turned back to look at Navi, who let out a sigh.

“Fine, since you already put this much effort into it, we’ll try _your_ way. Come on, hurry!”

And back up the path they went, past the cave, up and around the curve, back up to the throne room. The king still seemed occupied, discussing plans a few zoras that had returned.

“Alright, let’s go up and ask to be admitted,” Navi said, raising up above Link’s head.

But Link ignored her, instead making a wide arc around the side of the room. There was an exit just behind the king. It would be a tight fit, but he figured he could just barely squeeze through.

He tiptoed quickly, wanting the fish to still be alive by the time they reached Jabu Jabu. But perhaps the careful, methodical movements were a poor decision, because once one of the zora’s noticed him, they drew attention to his suspicious movements.

“You there in the green, what do you think you’re doing?”

Link froze, feeling all eyes turned on him. He was mere feet away from the gap now! He looked between all of the zora’s faces, some more judgmental than others. “I was just….” He darted, making a dive for the exit.

“Stop them!”

“No wait! I swear it’s not what it looks like!” Navi cried out, fluttering behind Link. “We just want to help! We thought maybe bringing Jabu Jabu a gift might get him to speak!”

“A gift? What if they’re poisoning Lord Jabu Jabu!”

“Maybe _they’re_ the ones that took Ruto!”

Link let out a squeak of alarm, stumbling and struggling to speed up in the shallow water and on the slimy stone underneath.

“No, it’s not like that!” Navi called out, but at the sea of angry faces rushing up the steps, she turned and fled with Link. “Never mind, there’s no reasoning with them right now, just run!”

The skull kid darted through the waist-deep water as fast as he could wade, slowed down by the force of the water, and the water beginning to soak into his clothes, into him. The zora seemed far less concerned by the water. But there was still something that was impeding their pursuit.

“Your highness, please move!”

None of them were small enough to squeeze through the gap that Link had.

He could hear the slight splash as the king shifted aside. He had little time. Please _please_ let Jabu Jabu vouch for him.

The small tunnel opened into evening sky. To his left, spiked wooden logs impeded his escape. In front of him was nothing but a stone wall. But to his right was a stone platform raised out of the water. And just beyond it, a huge fish far bigger than any creature he had ever seen, adorned by a head-dress filled with embedded blue gems nearly the size of Link’s head, brightly colored fabrics hanging down from it.

“That’s got to be Jabu Jabu!” Navi called out. “Quick, over there!”

Link pushed through the deepening water, nearly up to his chest now, until he made it to the underwater stone steps. He pulled himself out of the water, now face to face with the fish, and held the fish aloft.

“Hurry, they couldn’t have gotten far!”

“Great Jabu Jabu!” Navi called out, a hint of alarm creeping into her voice. “We come requesting your help. We wish to find the princess and were hoping that our offering would convince you to help us!” She glanced back to the cave exit. “We would also request your help clearing our name. The zora think we may have something to do with the princess’ disappearance. So please!”

The fish shifted for a moment, then stilled. Link stiffened, expecting to be turned away. He dropped the fish.

Jabu Jabu’s eyes moved, taking notice of the flopping movement of the fish Link had brought him. Slowly, the great fish’s moth opened, sucking in air. Link realized with alarm that that the force was strong enough to tug at him. He tried to pull back, to dig in his feet, but the force became too much, and he felt himself lifted off the ground. Suddenly he was flying through the air, and before he realized what had happened, the jaws snapped shut, leaving him in darkness.

 


End file.
